Blanche Rose
by sawakunoichi
Summary: In this manor, we have a new butler. He is perfect and handsome to the point where it is inhuman. I can tell that he is a fake. After all, everything we have here is fake.
1. Chapter 1

"_I once said 99 true words, no one believed me. I once said a single lie, everyone believed me. From then on, I realized that we are living a life full of lies."_

This manor is dark and faint. The aura of it is evil. The people living inside are withering even though there are only five, sometimes six. There are rules to living inside this manor. The rules are unwritten, but you simply must have to taste the bitterness of the medicine to know that it is bitter.

I once had a beautiful mother who was healthy and alive. After that, I went to live with my aunt and uncle inside this dreadful manor along with my three cousins. Every day is full of schemes and whispers of each other. Basically my Aunt, Catherine Dolorie is plotting against me and same with my uncle, Elenezer. I knew about every plot, every scheme, and every poison they had put into my food.

Why? It must be because of the massive amounts of fortune my parents had left me. Catherine Dolorie is indeed a greedy woman. Despite how her husband owns a company called DOLL which designs and crafts many beautiful dolls, clothes, and is famed in producing many flavors of chocolate, she still wants what was her brother's. Elenezer also had the money to buy this old manor, which is the most expensive in this area. I've even heard that this manor was burned down twice about thirty-eight years ago.

It was the same date as when the city of London was engulfed in fire. Seriously, is that why it's so expensive? It is said that this manor once belonged to an owner of a famous company. Huh, how ironic. Today as usual, it starts off full of questions at the dining table.

"You haven't touch your food," says my aunt, "you won't get the energy to go to school dear" I'd laugh if I could. Dear? Ha! But of course, I didn't.

"No, it seems that I'm just not that hungry. I think I'll go to the academy now"

"No sweety, please eat your food," she says, as she touches my hand with her cold slender fingers and stares at me with great intensity and anticipation.

After a long pause and some constant giggles coming from my cousins, I finally smile my usual fake smile. "Of course, my aunt" After I'm done with my soup, I grab on to my brown leather bag and head out the door. My cousins and I go to different academies.

Of course, they got the better school except it is farther so they get to ride in their car and I have to walk. That is fine with me. As soon as I got to my school, I bolt into the bathroom and quickly ran into one of the stalls to make myself throw up. Every day, almost every day, she would put tiny bits of poison into my food. After I am done, I walk to the mirror to straighten my dark brown hair, which is down to my shoulders with bangs.

I feel sick, so sick that I think I will skip today. Really, someday I might just get killed. Every day is the same, like a repetitive dream, but it is definitely not boring. It's scary. Every word they said always had a second meaning.

If you're not careful, you might just fall into their endless webs of lies, spun with greed and cruelty. It's always like that, nothing new. That was what I thought before I dragged myself home today. As soon as I open the door to this manor, there he stands a new butler in a black tailed suit. He looks tall and fine with his upright stance.

His face is a bit pale with his hair as dark as ebony. A mysterious aura surrounds him and fills his dull crimson eyes.

"Welcome home, young Mistress" He bows and stands up, revealing his freakishly pleasant smile that seems to have held many deep and dark secrets.

He looks... perfect and very handsome. It's just that, there's something about him that's weird.

"Faustine, this is our new butler," my aunt said. I stare up at his pleasant face. Oh well, it doesn't have anything to do with me does it?

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said.

"I am Sebastian, Sebastian Michaelis. Please to meet you"

He reaches a hand out for me to shake and I shake it with caution, staring suspiciously at my aunt. Having a butler is fine with me. In fact, I really don't care, but why now? Could it be another one of her schemes? I bet when my cousins are home, they would be giggling next to our 'butler' all day long.

From now on I might have to be cautious of Sebastian as well because everything here is a lie. We all lie to get what we want here. It's how I survive.

After all, they love to hear lies.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Love and betrayal co-exist. It doesn't mean that if you betrayed the one you love, you love him less. Nor does it mean that if you love someone, you will not betray him…"_

The image in front of me is blurry like the image under water. It feels like I'm lying on top of a cold, hard and metallic surface which makes me feel chilled through my bones. I see many figures in white lab coats surrounding me and hovering over me. I try to get a good look at my surroundings but the lights above me are too bright for me to even fully lift my eyelids. If feels like I am bound to something on an operation table.

I can feel myself panicking. Everything seems to be in a foggy and blurry blob in front of me. Am I hallucinating about shadows aside from my constant nightmares now?

"What's wrong?" He asked in a soft patient tone, "Are you scared?" I can feel my heart race and all my senses turning acute.

The sounds of my unsteady heart beat; my panicked breathing; the machine; and the murmurs of the figures around are driving me insane. I rise up my head and struggle to get free. I can hear the figure in front of me chuckle at my poor attempt. "Don't worry hun; it will soon be over..." After that, he injects a needle into my left arm as I shriek and try to jerk away.

But the more I struggle, the more tightly he grabs on to my arm. Soon I feel myself slipping away, follow by an echo saying, "I love you... my daughter"

I hear the curtains next to my bed slide open, letting streams of sunlight on to my face. Without opening my eyes I can still tell that it was our butler Sebastian who has been working here for about three weeks. I've pretty much gotten used to having a butler in our house, even at times when he's unusually strange. He is a strangely perfect man. Perfect to the point where it's almost inhuman.

"Since you do not have much time left," he starts, as I sat up and rub my eyes, "I've already prepared today's outfit for you. After you dress, you can go straight downstairs for breakfast"

"No. I think I'll pass for breakfast today," I said as I walk towards the brown straight-line dress which is folded neatly on to my chair with a brown, wool cloche hat.

"Why? Is my cooking unsuitable for your taste?" I watch as his expression turns into that of confusion.

"You haven't eaten any breakfast for three weeks"

"Yes, I've been avoiding breakfast or any sorts of meals in this manor since long before you came," I smile, "I guess I am just not a breakfast person at all. But I can tell that you're cooking far exceeds that of the most talented chef in England"

"Then how do you expect to have any energy for scho-"

"I'll be fine Sebastian..."

After the debate, I quickly got dressed and rush myself to school avoiding aunt's suspicious eyes. My school isn't very large or rather it is like a long wooden inn. While I am sitting in my seat waiting for our teacher to arrive, I feel a small tap on my shoulder and turn around just to see Urice's bright smiling face framed by her golden curls.

"Urice?"

"Good morning Faustine! How's your day?" I felt one of my eyebrows twitch at that particular name.

"I've told you not to call me Faustine"

Urice frowns, "then what am I suppose to call you? It's your name!"

I sigh, "I don't know, just call me whatever you want besides that name. So what is it that you have to tell me?"

Urice frowns deeper, "I've heard from my parents that the war isn't getting any better"

"Are you referring to a certain problematic issue with Germany? Why, it hasn't even turn into a full blown war yet. I'm sure that a war would be the last thing we'd need "

(Cough *World War 2* Cough. For those of you who haven't realized, this is the 1930s ^^)

After school, I walk out on to the school campus with Urice as she tells me about all the things that happened at her house yesterday. They're mostly just random things such as how it was her cousin Bertha's birthday yesterday and the exact size of her cake, as I smile and nod, sometimes laugh, or make a comment. Besides Urice, I've had some good acquaintances in school. But she was my first friend ever since mother died. As we walk down the path to the school gate, it starts to rain follow by some muffles of thunder.

"There's Erika! She's here to pick me up," she said as she dashes to her maid who is holding an umbrella. I start to head to the direction of the manor when I heard my name being called. I turn around to see a man standing next to his car. His light brown trench coat is drenched from the pouring rain. He waves as I walk over to his direction.

"See you tomorrow at school!" Urice called.

"See you tomorrow and please don't forget your homework again," I replied as she starts to blush and smile. As soon as I reach the man, my smile immediately disappears.

"It's nice to see you again Detective Baerch," I greeted.

Baerch scrunches his eyebrows and frowns, "are you well, Faustine?"

"I told you, not to call me that"

The detective coughed and sniffed. "Faustine is only a name. Just a second ago you were smiling at your friend like a 'normal' girl. If only those smiles were real"

I sigh and look down at my wet filthy boots, "how can I survive up until now without the fake smiles? I appreciate your concern but I don't have time for this. The point is... did you find anything about the lab yet?"

Baerch pauses then speaks in a low whisper, "we've found the actual location of where you were held when you were kidnapped... the burnt one. Hopefully there will be some clues there"

"...Is that so..."

"Would you like to take a look and help us confirm it?"

"No!" I quickly turn to have a glance at the school gates and to my horror, there stands Sebastian in his dark rain coat, holding an extra umbrella. "Listen Detective Baerch, all the sites and information about my abduction and... Being used as an experimental object... I wish you not to tell anyone"

The detective agreed and I left on my way to where Sebastian stood. Both of us remain silent as we walk back to our manor. When we arrived, we were both just about soaked from the pouring rain so I had to go take a shower. After I'm done washing myself, I got dressed and take a walk down to the west wing of the manor. The west wing is pretty much isolated with some burnt marks from the fire. All the things from the former owner still remain in the west wings. It certainly has a taste of the Victorian era.

The west wing is still as dark as before with few lights illuminating from the curtains. As I walk, I decide to go into the farthest room at the end of the hallway. With some straining push and pull, the doors finally budge open with a loud creek. Inside the room is a rectangular office with some book shelves at the sides and an office desk in the middle.

The curtains had fallen making this room bright enough to see particles of dusts floating in the air. As I tip toe inside, I stumble upon a burnt wooden box on the ground. I pick it up and blow off the dirt. Then I open the box. Inside is golden pocket watch that seems to have stopped. Underneath the old pocket watch is a wrinkled picture.

As I look into the picture, I drop the box on to the ground making a loud thud as music starts to fill the silent room. It is actually a music box that contains a delicate tune but the question 'why it still works so well' isn't what bothers me as much as the old yellow picture. This picture should be old... very old. The boy with an eye patch inside the picture should be dead by now. But standing next to the boy... was Sebastian. The same exact Sebastian who hasn't age a bit.

Is this really Sebastian? If not then who is he? What is he? Suddenly, there comes a creak from the door behind me. Startled, I quickly shove the picture into my pocket and turn around. Sebastian steps inside the office with his usual pleasant smile.

"Dinner is ready Young Mistress" I take a soft deep breath and try to calm myself down, not wanting to let him know that I was utterly creeped out by him and the picture.

"I'm not hungry. You should know by now that I don't eat in this manor. Please, leave me"

"Very well then" Sebastian bows and turns to leave. But just before he steps out of the office he stops and smiles back.

"What is it?" I snapped. The butler laughs vaguely under his breath.

"You've put up quite a nice act, Young Mistress.

I was fooled at first as well that you're really nothing but a pleasant idiot. But you knew didn't you, the deeper meaning to your aunt's kindness and yet you act like you didn't. How impressive..." I stare with my eyes wide at Sebastian, startled by his crimson eyes which seemed to have gotten brighter than usual.

What is this feeling?

Fear? How ridiculous.

"Of course," I managed, "the fool always survives"

"Oh really, well here's an advice for you Faustine, you should eat in the manor once in a while so that your aunt's knowledge of you as a fool will remain"

After his last comment, he left and proceeds with his other chores.

From then on I knew that he really isn't normal.


	3. Chapter 4

"_They say that if you have been kissed by an angel, you will have a pair of invisible wings. In times of fear, those wings of yours will spread open and will bring you to your own heaven"_

My mother's favorite flower were roses of a pure white color. Back at her home in Normandy, rows and rows of flower beds surrounded the fields of her yard. There was a walled up garden where she kept a bunch of white rose bushes that surrounded the fountain in the middle. She raised them and died along with them. When I found her dead on the floor in her bedroom, her body was covered with scattered white rose petals.

I still miss her smile even though it wasn't directed at me. She smiled because she had felt peaceful, now that she was in her own little world. She wasn't always mentally there. But I guess it was better that way because she couldn't feel any pain in her world. Still, if she was in her right mind, I'm sure she would've loved me like a mother would.

Today, I had to wait until after school to continue my research in the library or else Sebastian might just nag me again. That annoying butler acts just like a real mother figure. After I gathered all of my information, I went to search around town looking for a place suitable enough to read in secret. I simply follow the route where there seems to be lesser people. Soon, my feet finally stop in front of the Undertaker's shop.

"This drink…tastes peculiar rather, disgusting" I commented, as I sat my cup down on his counter which was filled with some dark liquid substance.

"It's my speciaaaal~ coffee. I brewed it yesterday... he, he," said the Undertaker.

"You call this coffee? Why it tasted more like tea and there's too little sugar!"

The Undertaker sighed, "what a demanding brat... fu, fu, fu... oh fine I'll add one more. Just one though"

He reaches under the counter and again, through those two long, dangling sleeves of his, and takes out one small sugar cube, dropping it into my cup.

"Are you trying to taunt me?"

"Hm... possibly... But it makes me wonder why in the world a girl like you would be doing here? You should go to some fun parties or some banquets and maybe clubs..."

I laughed, "You make me sound like some show girl on the streets nearby.

Today my uncle is coming back from abroad and they're preparing a banquet for him. I hate being caught between such troublesome things and besides, you seem to know a whole lot about the Phantomhives" I reach into my bag, and grab a large file of news articles, dropping it on the counter while making a loud "plop."

"Hu, hu! It has only been a day and you've already gotten this much information... Hm... And some of the records were supposed to be locked up in the city hall"

"Oh? You mean that old place," I glance up at the Undertaker with a bit of a proud smirk, "I have my ways and connections as one of the Young Mistresses of the Dolorie household"

He chuckles as usual and proceeds with his unending questions."Ku, ku, ku... and what is this?"

He picks up a large black book and reads, "The Marks of a Demon?" He carelessly waves the book around as I shrug.

"I just decide to follow my instincts"

"Instincts huh?"

"It might sound crazy, but that's the only idea I could come up with"

When the night falls with a crescent moon hanging high up in the sky, I finally decided to walk myself home since the Undertaker went to use the restroom and decided not to come back at all. It's as I thought, the whole manor was reset and decorated into a certain theme. The carpets, stairs, and the chandeliers all look shinier. The dining room looks more elegant than usual, thanks to none other than our Sebastian. All the guests invited are hanging around at the lobby.

After greeting some familiar guests, even the troublesome ones, I make my way up into my room just to see a folded dress lying on my bed with a note.

**The note reads: **

**Dear Niece,**

**I had this dress made especially for you using the best cloths and workers available. **

**I really hope that it would suit your taste. There's no doubt that you will look complete and exquisite in it.** **I would like you to wear it to this banquet.**

**DO IT NOW.**

Made especially for me, she says. It is indeed very impressive how she could easily show her bi-polar personality in a short note. I hold the dress up to examine it closely. Hm... The fabrics are nice. It is a long sleeve cashmere dress. There is also a bit of brown added to match the color red. Such a nice dress... what are they up to?

"Ow!" That hurt.

The banquet overall is a bit overwhelming. I can barely breathe in such a crowded place full of so many fake laughter and fake compliments.

"You must be Faustine Dolorie of the Young Mistresses" I turn around just to see a jolly old man with a white beard wearing a sophisticated white suit.

"You must be Mr... Wincott?"

"Uh no, I'm..."

"Oh, you're Mr. Rushmore. I'm very sorry for my mistake" The man smiles as he reaches out a hand for me to shake.

"Ha, ha! He's certainly Mr. Rushmore. I'm actually Mr. Wincott!" A voice interrupts as another tall man in a brown suit steps in between our handshake.

"Mr. Wincott," Mr. Rushmore begins, "that was very rude of you to interrupt"

"Oh come on, this is a banquet! We're supposed to let loose! Enjoy ourselves and let our desires lead us to the best wine"

"None sense! You're drunk!"

"Oh come now, how about some Caloria Vista wine?" The two begin to bicker, as I quietly slip away. I stroll out of the lobby and into the courtyard where it's nice and quiet. The feelings of fresh air under the dark endless skies, with moonlight as my company.

"Oya? What is our little Young Mistress doing here?" The voice came from the bushes in front of me which begin to stir and out comes a small black cat.

"C- Cat? Did you just talk?"

"No, no, not the cat" From behind the cat, steps out Sebastian covered with some dirt and leaves.

"What... are you doing with a cat behind a bush?"

"Who me? Oooooh... I was cleaning its waste"

"I see" I glance suspiciously at him and the cat.

"You look well..." Yes, I am guessing that is one of Sebastian's attempts to change the topics.

"Of course I am well. A few sharp needles wouldn't kill me"

"So you've realized that there were actually needles in your dress and you've managed to take every single one of them out... Well done!"

Sebastian smiles then claps his gloved hands together. He then turns and starts to leave but before he does, I stop him with a question.

"Sebastian... you're not human... are you?"


	4. Chapter 5

_"I've spent my life destroying other people's lives; little did I know that I destroyed my own life as well..."_

I can see his lean and broad back turn stiff for a brief moment, and then relax.

"Am I not human, you ask...? What makes Young Mistress ask such an absurd question?"

"It's just according to a theory of mine" I shift onto my right foot, staring intently at his back.

"Theory you say... Do you have any proof? Strange huh, if I'm not a human then what am I?" Sebastian turns back around with a sudden interest clearly shown in his intrigued smile.

"Ciel Phantomhive, the mysterious head of the Funtom Company who never seemed to show any face in the public news and records, had a butler.

There are also not much of records at all about that butler. It's almost as if he never existed"

"No record? Then how would you know that he had a butler?"

"I said 'almost' no record.

There is one article about a member of an Italian mafia, who made an attempt to abduct Ciel. In the end he tried to tell the media that the demon who killed all of his men and dislocated his whole arm was Ciel's butler, or should I say, you Sebastian Michealis were the demon back then"

Sebastian laughs, "I believe he was sent into the mental institute!"

"That guy also said that both you and Ciel had the mark of a demon"

"Then how would you know that Ciel's butler was me?"

"Yes, how should I put this?" I paused for a bit, "I've found a picture of Ciel and his butler inside one of his rooms in the west wings. His butler stood next to him and he looks exactly like you! Even if he is somehow related to you, the resemblance is too much and…"

"…Oh yes of course, the picture"

"There wasn't a contract between you and my aunt since she doesn't have the demon's mark in her left eye, like Ciel. So then I wondered why you would work for her under no contract at all. Plus, you weren't even focused on getting rid of me" I reach into my pocket and take out the picture I had spoken of.

"You were actually looking for this picture right?"

"Hm…It is true that as immortals, demons will try to hide their existence. This one picture is indeed the proof of my existence. But it is not like a single picture will affect me at all. I simply want it as a sort of... remembrance or a souvenir"

"Sebastian," I called, as Sebastian turns and raises an eyebrow at the sudden lowering of my voice.

"It's amusing, isn't it? How ironic that my name just so happens to be Faustine," I took a deep breath. "The name Faustine means luck. But that isn't the only reason why my father gave me this name…"

"Faust, the cursed, the damned. Faust, a German scientist who made a pact with the demon Mephistopheles for more knowledge. Faustine means luck, but it's merely just the luck given by the demons," Sebastian cocks his head to a side, "humans have the most interesting tales..."

"...Then Sebastian... if you really are a demon, I'll make a contract with you"

"My, my... Young Mistress, do you have any idea of what you just said?"

"I know what I just said and what I'm getting myself into"

Then, there is this silence. The silence is so sudden that it nearly catches me off guard. The crickets stopped chirping, people stopped laughing, and the small black cat stopped purring and simply just stares at me with its bright glowing orbs as if it could see through my soul.

As for Sebastian, he silently covers his face with a hand to hide his smile, his 'real' smile behind his white stainless glove that seems to glow under the moonlight. He starts to lean is as his shoulders begin to shake with laughter. He must have thought I was crazy or amusing, something along the lines of "foolish human." I bet all demons would think that, if there are any other. The only audible sound was the rustling of the breeze through the grasses and the trees that pass between my two feet, making my dress flutter along with the wind.

"That's quite a dangerous decision to make," says Sebastian with his voice sounding more amused than ever, "you're still only but a child, a girl. What could you possibly do with a demon? Your desire, lust, selfishness, and greed... are they enough to be in exchange for your soul?"

"Ciel Phantomhive was twelve when he formed his contract with you.

I'm two years older than him, I'm fourteen" Sebastian turns around again with his back facing me.

"I'm not just any demon who would take anyone's soul. If you want me to serve you, then prove that your soul is rather worthy of being devoured or else you're going to bore me" He starts heading back to the lobby. His muffled footsteps echo into the dark silence. Now, it's as if my senses had become acute like how it was on the operation table.

The yard is suddenly full of the sounds and movements within each and every neck of the woods. It suddenly became very... loud. I raise my hands up to cover my ears from this bizarreness. But then, something clicked in my mind, something I remember from the 'Marks of a Demon' book. I narrow my eyes at Sebastian's back as he kept on his way back.

I will. I'll prove it to you, Sebastian Michaelis. I step back and grab on to the stems of a rose bush behind me. My hand stings and throbs in pain as the thorns pierces through my skin.

_"Meruche of the demon fire..._

**Sebastian slows.**

I softly whisper through all the noises I've been hearing and all the movements I felt as I reach out my hand to let my blood drip on to the bare grounds below me.

_"Saraphine of the damned,_

_Satan of the eternal hell... bound my chain and sheath thy limbs._

_Bestowed upon: Sebastian Michealis..."_

**Sebastian stops.**

"Oh? So you've learned how to bind a demon"

_"I, Faustine Dolorie,_

_Will now defy all living things to heaven and God,_

The blood that is on the ground slowly forms into a star, like the Mark of A Demon.

_"In serving me and completing my quest. For return, he may in any manner _

_Order, ordain, reign, rule, posses all that I have including my body and soul._

_Therefore, I mark this contract with my blood._

The breeze around me turns into a raging, howling wind as it blows towards my direction, bending every tree in its path. My hair tie got blown away, letting my hair dance furiously along. While Sebastian doesn't seems be faze by the sudden impact.

"I... claim thee!"

The clouds cover the moon, letting no lights shine through.

The courtyard is now darker than ever, full of different eerie figures and shadows. The only thing I could see in front of me, are those two bright red eyes that arch as if its facial expression is that of a cheerful smile. I hear footsteps as the he walks and stops in front of me. Then, he grabs me by my hair and lowers his ruby eyes to mine. I can feel the back of my neck sweating and let's face it...it's from fear.

Then I get to hear more of his vague laughs.

"Well done, Faustine! You seriously had me in for a little shock there. You even managed to force me into a contract. If you can keep that up, I'm sure my years of serving my Young Mistress will surely be enjoyable.

There is no point in telling me what you want because I can already tell since he had the same eyes as you"

"My father...I want you to kill him"

"Mm ha, ha! Yes! That's the way it should be...those eyes... you have the same eyes as Ciel!"

"The same eyes?"

"Ah and by the way. If you happened to get pricked by the needles that your aunt hid in your dress, they're poisonous..."

I'm sure they are because that was the last thing I see before I...died.


	5. Chapter 6

_"__Humans are such weak creatures. You just have to set up a trap and wait for your prey to get caught on to your hook. Then that certain human you want to have your revenge upon, will be like a dead helpless doll…disorientated in your hands."_

I open my eyes as the brightness of the sun that spreads through the curtains, weighs them back down. I use the back of my hand to cover the blinding sheets of light as I turn my head away, feeling the usual irritation that lingers every day. I should really get myself a dark canopy for my bed. There are the sounds of the low voice conversations, presumably Sebastian, just outside of the white double doors to my bedroom. The doors open as Sebastian steps in on to my royal blue rug.

There standing before him, outside my bedroom door, is my Aunt in her usual white pearls and dress next to a man in his long white coat, which I guess is my doctor.

"Are you sure she is alright?" My aunt asked. The doctor shakes his head once, twice, three times. "Is there something wrong? Is she in a serious condition?"

"No, she is fine," the doctor answered.

"Then what did you shook your head for?"

The old man stared, annoyed by her constant questioning. "I shook my head 'no' meaning, she has 'no' problems, 'no' life threatening issue, and 'no' illness" With that, he left to head downstairs, waiting to get paid.

My aunt follows, after she told Sebastian to take care of me. After that, he quietly closes the doors and pushes a cart full of drinks to my bed.

"Good morning, Young Mistress," he greets like he usually does in the mornings. I sat up on my giant bed and watched as he pours into the tea cup.

"How long did you know I was awake?" I asked.

"As soon as I walked into your bedroom," Sebastian replies as he hands me the tea cup.

"Don't ever joke like that again. I thought I was really going to die!"

"Oh but you were," he smiles, "It's just that I've made it so that she had completely forgotten about ever poisoning you. How careless of you, to get pricked by one of the needles while you, yourself, was trying to extract all 50 from that dress.

Despite all that, you still wore it to the banquet"

"I wanted to show my aunt," I say, as I stare into my tea cup, wondering what the heck he just put in there, "that I'm still alright, 'despite all that.' Usually she doesn't go all out to poison me, since I'm the only one in this world who knew where my father hid his most valuable fortunes"

"Heh… so you underestimated your aunt, huh?"

Before I could come up with a response there comes a knock from my door. Without waiting for an answer the door opens and Alice comes, in her blue school uniform with an amused glance from a side of her hazel eye. She looks just like a younger version of Catherine.

"Good day Faustine," she says, "and if you don't mind, Sebastian will come into my room after to help me get my outfit ready" After giving Sebastian a demanding look, she turns right around and left my room as Sebastian answers with an "as you wish."

"As usual, she's trying to get you to her room," I said, feeling intensely annoyed for some odd reason. "So what will you do? Are you still planning on serving my aunt?"

"Oya, is that jealously I hear?"

I scoffed, "what kind of an idiotic nonsense is that?"

Sebastian sighed, "As you can see, we are now bound by our contract… or at least you pretty much forced it upon me.

With the mark in your left eye and on the back of my left hand, we are bound together until our contract ends"

I brought my hand up to my left eye and rub it twice. "It's in my left eye?"

"Yes, so it'll be better if you cover it with something. Seriously, I've never seen any human who is this eager to make a pact with a demon… well, with the exception of him"

"You mean Ciel Phantomhive"

"So even if I act as if I am serving them, in reality, I am your most loyal servant. If you want me to stop serving your Aunt, I can make it so that she completely forgets ever having me as a butler.

Is that what you want, hm?" I ponder for a bit as I take a sip from the tea cup…

What the hell is this drink?

"No, I want you to continue. Serve them, give them what they want. Make them trust you… then drown them into their own misery. But still you must always obey my absolute order.

Until our contract is complete, you will remain as my loyal servant and you will NOT betray me" Sebastian's eyes seem to have gotten darker with a bit more intensity, a bit more amused. The color of his crimson eyes is as dark as dried blood, or dried roses.

"Is that your absolute order, Young Mistress?" He asks, with his tone slightly deeper.

"Yes," I answer, "that is my absolute order"

"Then, I shall obey your words," he says, as he bows low but proud, besides my bed.

"By the way, Sebastian…"

"Yes, Young Mistress?" Sebastian gets up.

"Bring me coffee next time instead of tea"

"Is the tea not fitting for your taste?"

"No, it's just that… I hate tea"


	6. Chapter 7

"_Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?"_

It has been three days since my recovery from "Mariella," a poison that my aunt would always use in attempt to weaken my health. Because of that I announced that I will not eat anything in the manor unless it is prepared by Sebastian. My aunt had no objections to that, since she believes that he is still under her command. As usual, I set off to school and is surprise to see that no one even bother to ask about my new eye patch which covers the symbol in my left eye.

But then I did get many strange looks from my aunt and my cousins, including my uncle who just came back from work in Paris.

"Sebastian dear, would you escort Faustine out to the doors," said my aunt, and so he does.

"I hope to see you at school Young Mistress," he says, just as I set my right foot out the door.

Then I stopped.

"See me at school?"

"Why of course, since yesterday I found that you were being targeted"

"Really, how unusual," I reply, as I turn away bored.

"Well you see I had a very pleasant experience with your closet yesterday, since I received a friendly arrow, from a crossbow, as soon as I opened the doors. Oh, and a bit of a mind teaser while trying to stop the time of a bomb that was placed on the outside next to your window"

A bomb huh? I see, so my aunt is going to take even more drastic measures now.

"So," I finally start, "how big was the bomb?"

"Hmmm… It wasn't a very big one but…" He smiles yet again, "it's enough to blow your head off"

This must be the reason why I'd want to slap that smile off his beautiful handsome face. But I can't lose myself. I have to act as if I don't care, for my pride. I am currently speechless. All that I can come up with before I abruptly left was, "I see…"

So then on my way to school, I finally realize that Sebastian had told me that he will see me in school. What a preposterous idea. My school won't allow any strangers into the classrooms, even if he is your butler or a body guard. Telling the school that I'm being targeted would be quite troublesome.

Then how exactly Sebastian is going to 'see' me in school, I wonder.

"Fausty!" A familiar voice called, followed by a tackle that I know all too well.

"Huh? Fau-"

Of course, it was Urice who is always surprisingly energetic in the mornings. "You said I couldn't call you Faustine, so I'll call you Fausty!

Isn't it cute… huh? Fausty what happened to your left eye?"

"It's nothing… I um…" I stop and think for a second, "I fell down the stairs"

"….Fausty, you're lying," she sighs, "its fine then, if you don't want to tell me, even though I am dying to know"

"Yea, it's kind of embarrassing"

"Geez! You need to light up more you stingy…"

"I'm not an energetic idiot like you in the mornings. You know how much I hate getting out of bed"

"That's okay, I have interesting news!"

"Is it about that worldly issue again?"

"No, it's about our teacher"

"Mr. Garson?"

Urice nods her head, "Mmhm, I heard that he was walking home alone last night and somebody came up to him from behind and practically attacked him.

After that, Mr. Garson fainted and when he woke up, he was down in the hospital with most of his limbs broken! But the police are still investigating though"

"Wow, I hope he's alright, but it's kind of surprising that Mr. Garson could become a target. It sounds disturbing too"

"It's true and I saw it on the news!"

Then our conversation, or more of Urice's complaints about life, continues all the way to our classroom door.

"Ah~ I don't like school," Urice wines as I slide open the door.

"It's better than-" I suddenly stop, causing Urice to bump into my back with an oomph sound.

"Fausty, why did you sto- Wow, we have a substitute teacher and a handsome one!" Urice shouts as she points at our 'teacher' who is standing behind his stand, smiling like a robot.

His dark hair is neat as always with his dull amber eyes. He wears a simple white blouse and brown pants. That guy is actually trying to look casual, but unfortunately those white gloves of his still look suspicious… that Sebastian.

"Everyone please take your seats" he claps his hands together.

"I will be your substitute teacher for now since Mr. Garson had a bit of an accident yesterday.

My name is…" Sebastian turns around and writes his name on the blackboard. "Mr. Lanson" Mr.… Lanson?

Who is Mr. Lanson?

Mr. Lanson starts to write down all of our history notes on the board as one of our usual class idiots start to shoot spit balls everywhere. Mr. Lanson continues on, clearly trying to ignore the low whispers and screams from the girls who got hit, including Urice. Suddenly, the sounds of the chalk tapping on the blackboard increases as our classroom starts to get louder and louder.

The sound increases as Sebastian writes faster… tap, tap, taptaptaptap.

"Hey Mr. Lanson-" one of the students started but was cut off when Mr. Lanson suddenly spun around and threw his chalk at Samson Mills, one of our loudest class clowns. The chalk hits his forehead, making a deep round dent. Then, he faints right then and there on his desk.

Everyone was silent for a brief moment.

Then, "what was that?" One of the boys shouted.

"What you ask, this is only just a demonstration for the next person who utters another word. Starting now-"

"This is unacceptable, I will tell-" Another piece of chalk heads towards Ralph's way… Ralph faints.

"I can't stay here anymore!" says Scott, "I'm getting out!" Scott stands up, but quickly faints yet again with a chalk mark on his forehead.

"No standing during the procession of class," Mr. Lanson said with a smile, masking his irritation. With that, every single person in the classroom is silent.

A single sound of the bell causes everyone to dash out of the classroom like a giant stampede, dragging Ralph, Samson, and Scott along.

"Fausty are you coming?" Urice asked.

"No I'm staying behind because I have some… stuff to take care of" With that, Urice quickly glances at Mr. Lanson who is busy pretending to erase the old chalkboard.

"Oh, so you want to be with our handsome teacher huh," she whispers, "tsk, tsk, tsk"

"Hey that's not-" Urice runs out giggling like a mad woman.

"You have quite an interesting friend," says our substitute teacher, "Urice Moore is it?"

"Yeah… Wait, that's not the point! The point is how can you be our substitute teacher?"

"Well it is pretty easy. You see I-"

"Don't tell me, you're the one who broke Mr. Garson's neck?" I cross my arms feeling the usual irritation building up inside.

"Where did you hear that?"

"He was at the hospital"

"Oh, so you mean he is still alive? I could've sworn I broke the very core of-"

"Sebastian!"

"Ah!" he exclaims, "your bow!"

"My bow?"

"It's untied" Sebastian reaches down to tie the blue silk lace that is dangling around my neck into a perfect bow.

I almost flinched from this sudden closeness. This is just so unnecessary. Why am I so nervous?

I can even hear my own heart pounding. Suddenly there comes a small tap on the window of the classroom.

At first, I thought it was only the wind, bending the tree branches against the window. As I turn around, Mr. Baerch the detective is standing there waving idiotically at our direction.


	7. Chapter 8

"_The devil's laughter fills the empty corps"_

"Detective Baerch," I greeted as we met up at the back of our school in a small round field. Sebastian follows from behind, probably curious about how or when the character had appeared.

"Why," Detective Baerch exclaims, "what has happened to you?!"

"I had a bit of an accident," I reply, while adjusting my eye patch which feels a bit tight at the moment.

"Wow… It seems that all the unfortunate things had befallen upon your 'Iron Face"

"Iron what?"

"Iron face, for your face is as emotionless as an iron mask when you're not pretending ahahaha"

I give out a low irritated huff, "enough of that. What are you here for anyway?" Detective Baerch starts to talk but pauses as he stares back at Sebastian.

"Oh don't mind me. I may be a teacher here, but I'm also her butler and her most loyal servant"

"Is this true?" I nod in response.

"Well then, I would like you two to come with me to the T-Medical Center. I have something to show you"

And so Sebastian and I got into the back seat of Baerch's brown flat car as he drove off towards downtown. It might be hard to track a person or even a car in such a crowded place and it might be even harder to realize that you're being followed. But still, Detective Baerch realized that he had been seeing the same car every time he looked at the mirror next to his car. Of course, the butler had noticed it right from the start. Then, after some curves and turns, we finally lost sight of that black car.

"Whew it must have been my imagination," says Detective Baerch, "I thought we were being followed"

"Indeed," Sebastian replied.

"Sebastian…" I whispered eyeing him, as he smiles and nods at my silent order 'to find out who the person who was following us were' after our business with Baerch is done. Finally, we've arrived at the T-Medical Center.

It's a small old hospital that had been around for the longest time in this area. The building has a dull red color, for it was built by stacks of old bricks. Detective Baerch heads up into the hospital and to a brown double door at the end of the hallway.

"Now," he says in a serious tone as his face shows a bit of frustration with increased amount of wrinkles. His eyes shows that he is clearly in distress from the way his eyebrows seem as if it is unable to leave his eyelids.

"Both of you, especially you, girly, have to be prepared for this"

"Hey, stop calling me that if you're being serious"

"I am, Faustine. I am. I want you to see a victim of your kidnapper"

"Your… kidnapper?" Sebastian wonders out loud as I remain silent, unable to think of a reply or comprehend what Detective Baerch had just said.

I manage to choke out, "is the victim… alive?"

"No, the victim is dead. I wanted you to see his corpse so that you can help us confirm that the scar on the victim's body is that of the same ones that you have"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, if you want us to have a lead to your kidnapper" Detective Baerch finally pushes the two double doors open as he walks inside. I follow shortly after, accompanied by Sebastian. The room is small and rectangular. It reeks of medicines and chemicals.

The wall seems like it was built from white cement. The shelves around the room were stacked with materials. The temperature is cool because a window was opened, letting parts of the sunlight into this dark moist room. I hate hospitals. I just do.

I can't stand the smell and the sight of it, especially their operation tables, all the sounds that drive me mad. Of course, to my irritation, there is one operation table right in the middle of it all. I can tell that the object on the table is the corpse. When we came into Baerch's sight, he nods and flips the cover off the object, revealing a ghostly white body. I quickly step back and froze as Sebastian catches me from behind.

"Emmett Hollins was his name," he starts, "found him near an old school building. Now, do the slashes on his body look familiar?"

Sebastian looks closely at the slash marks, "the person seems to know what he's doing. It looks well experienced and brief"

"Yes, but the one on his side wasn't brief"

"The mark is deeper with some marks of needles inside"

"They were performing experiments on him," I said. Yes, I remember them. These marks are just like my marks before they healed.

"Their experiments are to inject drugs into his body," I said, "but to do that, they have to cut open his flesh and inject the needles into the wound so that the results would be accurate.

"So you're saying that you recognize these wounds?" The detective asks.

"Yes, they are exactly like the ones I have," I reply, feeling Sebastian's gaze shift on to my back. The detective frowns, staring sympathetically at the corps.

"Good," he says, "very well. Now we're going to our last location"

"Where would that be?" Sebastian asks, "It seems, Young Mistress, that the time had long been past your curfew"

"I see… your curfew"

"Yes, I have a cur-"

"But it can wait," says Sebastian as he ignores my glare completely.

"Then where is our last location?"

"You'll see… I'll take you there to find out," he said, as I grab on to his sleeve before he could leave.

"Is it that place?" I asked, "The place where I was kept" Detective Baerch looks away and nods.

I sighed, "Fine. Just take me there"


	8. Chapter 9

"_If we admit that some infinite being has __controlled__ the destinies of persons and peoples, history becomes a most cruel and bloody farce__"_

The lab, or rather, the place where I was kidnapped and kept looks the same as always. Well… almost. The place is burnt and seems to have more weeds around the area. But overall, it is still in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by trees. It's still the same white building with a bunch of broken windows.

Just the sight of this place makes me sick to my stomach. Imagine how many failed experiments, how much people were sacrificed. Of course, the place was deserted due to a fire, and because of the fire, I managed to escape from that place.

"Do you recognize this place?" Detective Baerch asked.

"Yeah, yes I do," I replied.

How long has it been? How long have I been running away from this place and from all my other problems? Maybe… it's time I should face them.

"Okay, that's all we need. You don't have to come back here anymore," Detective Baerch turns to go back into his car.

I didn't move as I stare at the lab, suddenly recalling an important memory from the day of the fire.

_"Today, there is going to be a huge fire in the laboratories and you will be free just like how we promised," he had said._

"_It's as I thought, you were always a kind person. But kindness alone won't help you know"_

"_Once you're free, go to room 36 and open the drawer inside. I saved it just for you"_

"_Room 36, that's my dad's office"_

"_Yeah, so wish me luck-"_

"_Alexion," I called, "…don't die on me, or else we'll have to spend money to pay for your funeral"_

"Mistress, Young Mistress?" Sebastian calls.

"I'm going to stay here for a while so you may go home first, Detective Baerch"

"Are you sure? But how will you get home?" The detective asked.

"I'll manage to find a way"

Besides, Sebastian can call for a car. Being the 'handsome**'** butler that he is, he should be able to do 'whatever' he needs to at least get a driver's attention. I stare back up at Sebastian as he quickly looks away, feigning the sudden interest in making out the shapes of the clouds.

"Very well then," and so Detective Baerch left with his car.

"But Young Mistress, what about your curfew?"

"Why do you, a demon, care so much about my curfew?" I asked, as I start by walking towards the old white building. Sebastian follows.

"Humans these days… they really have no sense of humor. Or is it just you?"

"Wasn't I humorous, thinking that you could perform to attract a driver's attention? ...Whatever you may be performing. Even though I wasn't kidding"

"Oh come on. I'm really no good at performing"

"It could be anything to get me home besides walking. You can carry me on your back or you can go hijack a car for all I care"

"You're really…" Finally, we walk into the door-less entrance of the building. The place is dark and burnt with shards of glass on the ground, in front of the windows.

The entrance leads to a hallway of doors and windows. The wall next to the entrance was engraved with a name in a fancy cursive.

"Lanmia," Sebastian reads.

"It's the name of the group. The illegal group of Lanmia lived since the Victorian era.

You can say that Lanmia is the opposite of 'the Queen's Dog.' Instead of helping the queen Victoria, Lanmia dreams of destroying the government"

"You seem to be pretty familiar about all this," Sebastian said, as I continue down the hallway.

"Of course I'm familiar. I'm part of their experiments after all.

They're working on the experiment of fusing the genes"

"Do they fuse genes together?"

"They inject the genes of a selected species, along with a newly developed drug that fuses both genes together –which is obviously illegal. - Because of that, some experiments that were injected possessed the strength and abilities of the species. That is, if the experiment was a success"

"And if it wasn't a success?"

"Simple, they'll keep performing the same experiments until you die from the massive drugs in your body"

"So I take it that the experiments on you was a success"

"Would I be alive right now if it wasn't?"

"Ho? So what kind of species did you get your gene from?

Judging from your temper, I would say-"

"I have Lanmia… a flower or a fungus that has the ability to produce toxic acids that can rot everything within its boundaries. So therefore…" I stop and put my hand on the left wall of the hall way as smokes begin to leak out from under my hand, making a small sizzling noise. "I can rot anything I touch at will"

Parts of the wall around my hand crumbles as Sebastian's eyes widen a bit.

"Then, you can also rot all of the homework at will?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"I'm just saying, you're terrible at mathematics"

"Hn!"

I continue walking down the dark hallway and past many doors of different rooms, until I reach door number 36.

Sebastian pushes open the old wooden doors, and it's as Alexion had said, there is one desk with one drawer in the middle of the window less room. He walks to the desk and pulls open the drawer. Inside the dusty drawer, is a gun carved with a name "Rosery."

"This is?"

"It's Rosery! My mother's gun" I pick Rosery up and weigh it in my hands. Suddenly, Sebastian lifts me under his arms by my waist and dashes out the door.

"Sebastian, what are you doing?" He didn't answer, as he jumps out the nearest window and lands on a soft grass field.

By this time, the sky is already at dawn. Then without warning, Sebastian hovers over me at the sound of a gun firing.

"A sniper," he says, "must be the guy who followed us"

"Where is he?"

"He is constantly moving somewhere behind the trees"

Then, there is another loud firing sound and before I could comprehend what happened, Sebastian had gone and came back while dragging an injured man behind him. I watch as the man grunts in pain, trying to see through his blood that is flowing into his left eye from the injury on his forehead.

"Sebastian, what did you do to him?"

"Nothing much, I just broke his skull bone, that's all"

"That's all?"

"What shall we do with him, Young Mistress? He's all yours to decide" What is he… is he testing me or something?

"I- I don't care"

"So I can do with him as I wish?

Very well then, you can watch as I **perform**" Sebastian grabs him by the throat.

"Wait!" Sebastian stops.

"What's the matter? You said I can do with him as I wish"

Why did I tell him to wait?

Why am I panicking? I know why. I didn't want to watch as he **performs** his demonic acts. I didn't want to be reminded that he is not a human, but a cold blooded demon who cannot feel. Was I hoping that he actually feels?

I point my Rosery at the man and ask him, "Who send you?"

The man turns his head away, reluctant to speak. "It's okay if you don't want to answer. It gives me the more reason to test out my new gun. Shall I include your family members too? "

The man's eyes widen with fear.

That's right. As long as I can keep my own image for Sebastian, I'd rather turn into a demon myself. Then, at the sound of a "click" -from me turning off the safety of the gun- he finally speaks in panic. "P-please, I'll tell you everything! Just don't hurt my daughter!"

Oh?

So he has a daughter. "It's that secret society from the lab. It's Lanmia, I swear! So please, spare my daughter" I lower my gun a bit, for I really don't want to shoot.

I've never kill anyone before.

"You can't shoot, can you?" Sebastian mocks. "You can just tell your demon to do the dirty work"

"There's no need," I answered, as I raise my gun again with my hands shaking in fear. Then, Sebastian suddenly grabs Rosery from my hands and shoot him in his head.

It all came in a flash that I didn't know what to think.

My vision of the dead man blurs as I feel my eyes getting watery.

"You're too soft," Sebastian says in a dissatisfying tone.

"But he has a daughter!"

"So? To not shoot the man who was going to assassinate you because of mere sympathy.

Then you're actually caring about this girl you've never even met"

"Sebastian, know your place"

"You might as well forgive anything Lanmia had ever done, including that father of yours and whatever he did. Oh I get it, it's the fact that he is a father figure huh? You actually love your father?"

"Shut up, shut up!"

Sebastian is now silent with his eyes half closed in a bored way.

"My father was part of the Lanmia group. He was the one who performed the experiments on my mother and me. He was the one who killed my mother by accidentally creating a tumor in her brain.

So hate… isn't even enough to describe how I feel.

I planned on letting the man go, so that my father will know that I'm still alive, and he will continue to come at me. That's all there is to it"

"Then, if you're always that weak, my 'life' serving you will certainly be a bore-"

"I'm not..."

"What was that?"

"I'm not Ciel Phantomhive. So don't expect me to be as merciless as him!" With that, Sebastian finally smiles.

"You've certainly changed a lot… since the old times"


	9. Chapter 10

"_Faustine, you're indeed as beautiful as your mother. You'll certainly be quite a beauty when you mature into a woman. I wonder… if I could be as beautiful as your mother if I am to consume your blood…"_

"Miss Dolorie? Miss Dolorie instead of endlessly gazing forward in a daze would you come up here and solve problem B?" Problem B… ugh, I hate mathematics. He called on me on purpose, I can almost swear. But at times like this, our relationship is merely that of a student-teacher's, so therefore I am not in the position to order him around.

So all I can do is just suck it up and walk up to the black board, while glaring at Mr. Lanson's 'kind welcoming' face. Then I stood up there for the next ten minutes with my chalk up in the air, as if I am about to successfully answer the equations in front of me, but not making a single move. I am stuck…

"Well? Aren't you going to write?" asked Mr. Lanson.

"She turned into a statue!" a boy laughed.

After the pointless tiring day of school, I sat in my classroom as I put my head into my arms. The sound of the evening breeze calms me and slowly lulls me to sleep. Not only that, but also a shift and some soft movements of Sebastian, like a shadow with a strong presence. The birds chirp into the winds and the leaves rustle through the classroom window, as if that was all there is to the world.

'It's just that simple, so what is there to worry about?' Yeah… if only things are that simple.

"You must be tired, Young Mistress. Would you like to have some tea?" Sebastian asked. I turn my head away and stare out the window, next to my seat.

"Stop joking, I told you I hate tea"

"It's a pity, but that's all we have for now. I remember when you used to drink tea every morning" I turn to look at Sebastian, searching his face just so I can get a clue about what he just said. But of course, Sebastian has the usual poker face on and along with his fake decent smile which absolutely indicates nothing.

But then again, I wouldn't say he's emotionless. Then sound of the repeating steps are heard where somebody's heels collide with the wooden floor of the hallway. The classroom door opens and Urice walks inside, as her yellow cotton dress dances below her knees. Her blond curls are as messy as usual.

"Urice, what are you doing back here?" I asked.

"Well, I could say the same thing back to you," she smiles, "I was looking all over outside for you. Turns out you're back here with Mr. Lanson for extra help"

"What for?"

"Some guy in a black suit wants me to give you this note" She hands me a folded piece of paper that seems to have been opened and closed countless times, for there was a deep crease to that small piece of paper.

"Of course, I've already peaked inside"

"Really, what does it say?"

"See for yourself. My nanny's outside waiting for me" With that, Urice walks back to the door where just then, I caught a glimpse of a troubled face which is very unusual for Urice's personality.

"Hey Urice"

"Yes Fausty?" she answers with a weak smile.

"That frown just now, doesn't suit you at all"

"It suits you more, right?" she laughs. A lifeless laugh.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine! I'm just worrying about some family matters. Plus, Faustine you've been pretty out of it since this morning!"

"Am I…"

"Oh and… Fausty, please be careful…" Be careful? You're usually not the kind to worry about things.

"What was that? Stop joking"

"Faustine…"

"What is it?"

"Remember, things are not always as simple as they seem" With that, she smiles and leaves.

"Strange girl huh," Sebastian leans back on to the window, acting as if he had just taken a sudden interest in the fields outside which is at the back of our school.

"Yes, she has been acting strange, ever since her father's hospital opened"

Oh, I've heard of the news before. The hospital that focus specifically on the study of genetics"

"It's quite popular," I said, while opening the note in my hands.

"Allow me, Young Mistress," and so I hand the opened note to Sebastian and he reads,

"_Dear Miss Dolorie,_

_I am the butler of the Randolph Manor in the East Lensway Curve. My Master plans to have a small gathering today with twelve other guests._

_It seems that Master Ian Randolph has taken an interest in you during the banquet yesterday. So please, do join us at no later than twelve p.m. today for a small game of 'hunt.' _

_We will be expecting your arrival. That is, if you do come."_

The bottom of the letter was stamped with a dark blue flower, which is a familiar symbol for a group by the name of…

"Lanmia… so this Ian Randolph guy belongs to that secret society," Sebastian folds the note back into a square. "Do you know him Young Mistress?"

"No, I've only heard of the name on the news. Mr. Randolph's company was rumored as being related to the massive production of drugs.

But it is obvious that Lanmia had destroyed all the records and evidence just so they could have their share of the money"

"What will you do, Young Mistress? This suspicious note sounds as if it was 'daring' you to go.' Without waiting for a reply, Sebastian starts to put on his dark trench coat with his dark wool hat. He knew what my answer is going to be.

"So it seems…" I said, as I stand up from my desk, "It is obvious that I'll go"

"Could be a trap"

"That will be the least of my worries, since I have you. They'll be falling into my trap instead"

"Oh? Where did all that confidence come from? So you put 'that' much trust in me?"

I put on my tan coat, as Sebastian starts to button it up.

"You said that we are bound by our contract and that you will be my most loyal servant. Or, was that all just lies?"

Sebastian laughs, "I don't lie… I never lie"

"You 'never' lie?" Sebastian wraps my red scarf around on my neck and ties a knob in the middle. "Young Mistress," the scarf tightens… just a bit too much, "if I am not such a loyal butler that I've spoken of… your soul would've been long gone before you became Faustine Dolorie"

The scarf loosens as Sebastian releases the soft fabric.


	10. Chapter 11

"_Of Spring Grove Cemetery  
How does your garden grow?  
With broken skulls and rotting hulls  
And brittle bones all in a row."_

__c. Lydia Wick_

I stare out at the blurring trees and grave yards through the car window as the engine drives.

"Why are there so many graves in this field?" I asked.

"Humans die often," Sebastian answers from the driver's seat.

"That's not what I meant. This grave yard is unnaturally big!"

"Well, it is clear that they all belong to the Randolph Manor"

"Seriously, but that's just too much"

"I mean we 'are' driving on his lands"

After a few minutes we finally arrive at the Randolph Manor, where there are no surrounding buildings and trees, but acres of graveyards and some poles and wires for electricity. There're also some torn and broken fences here and there, which makes it extremely hard to park, for it was already dark by the time we arrive at 12:30 p.m. which was past the given time.

Through the lights illuminated from the two lamps beside the doors of the manor, I can tell that the red bricked building is a very complicated piece of architecture. This building is more of a palace than a manor.

"Sebastian, are you sure this manor isn't just a larger version of another undertaker's shop?" I ask, picturing the silver hair guy giggling back in his shop.

"I assure you Young Mistress, if that is the undertaker's shop, there would be more than just graves"

Then the two double doors to the manor opens, revealing two women, in red and white maid dresses, to each entrance.

"Welcome to the Randolph manor. My name is Melroy"

"And my name is Melrose"

"We are the maids of this manor," both of the maids said, rather emotionlessly at the same time.

You can't help but wonder if they are actually robots. They both look oddly identical with the same short red curls and startling green eyes. Even their postures are the same.

"You must be Miss Faustine Dolorie," says Melroy, "and you are?"

"My name is Sebastian, I am her butler"

"Very well, servants shall go in from the left entrance with me," said Melrose.

"Miss Dolorie will go in from the right entrance with me," said Melroy.

"I refuse, since there is no need for that. Sebastian, I order you to stay with me"

"And I shall do just that"

After a brief pause, Melroy finally agree to let Sebastian go through the right entrance.

_Inside The Manor_ (The Living Room)

The living room of the Randolph Manor was lit by a single chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, which was carved into the shapes of white marble angels. Even though underneath it all, the whole room is occupied by twelve guests, there seems to be enough room to spare for about fifty more.

"Holy shit! Are you sure this is only just the living room, Dan?"

"Yes Mr. Grayhem"

"Are you sure?"

"I am the butler of this manor, so I know" Dan the middle age butler with all of his silver hair slicked neatly back and dressed in a grey butler's suit gestures at the red silk couch for Mr. Grayhem to sit in. The other guests also sat in four different couches while one of the guests, a boy stood next to the window.

"I presume you're all here for this game of 'hunt," Mr. Grayhem said in a mocking tone, "or am I the only one who was dared to come?"

"Actually, I was dared too," says a woman who is wearing a brown fur coat. Her hair is in short golden waves, typical for the women these days. "He knows I would love to torture him more than anything"

"You are?"

"My name is Iris Del Lerons"

"Why don't we all introduce ourselves? My name is Mr. Grayhem. People at my place would call me Detective Grayhem"

"Yes I know you," another man says, "I'm Detective Baerch. We've worked together on a case before" Detective Baerch and Detective Grayhem shake their hands.

"Crazy eh? He invited all of his enemies," says Baerch, "we would all like to get our hands on Randolph"

"Not all," says another man in a dark tuxedo with the golden initial of J.F. sowed onto the collar. The rich fellow has his fingers full of silver rings and a glass full of red wine.

"That boy over there told me that Mr. Randolph is also after him" He waves his glass at the window, where the boy stood staring out. His silver hair covers the sides of his face, blocking it from view. His deep golden eyes stares, as if it's in a daze.

'Who is he?" Baerch asked.

"Low, Gaspard Lowe.

He's not the type to talk much. As for me, I'm Gerald Fitzenburg"

"You are that man!" a woman exclaimed, "rumored to work with Randolph!"

"Well yes, you must be Marlene Street the current owner of Cilivan Banks"

"Say, where are my servants?" Marlene asks, "I haven't seen them ever since they went through the left entrance"

"Yeah, you're right"

"Mine too and wasn't there supposed to be the thirteenth guest?"

"I wonder who it is"

Then, the sounds of the echoing footsteps were heard in the hallway, as it approaches the door to the living room. Louder each time. The tall wooden door opens with a slight creak and the two maids, Melrose and Melroy, steps inside.

"The last guest has arrived," Melrose said.

"You guys shall wait here for further instructions," Melroy said.

With that, they hold the door for the next guest to come. The people were certainly surprised at the two odd guests that walked inside. They were certainly wondering why the man had brought a little girl to such a place. But Detective Baerch knew that the guest is not the tall pale man in the black trench coat, but the little girl, for he recognized the exact same adult like eyes inside a childish face back at home.

"You must be the last guest," Grayhem said to the man.

The man laughed and says, "No I'm not. My name is Sebastian and I'm her butler"

"What? You mean the girl?"

"But why would he invite a girl"

"She's not just a girl," Gaspard, the boy next to the window said, "That girl is Faustine Dolorie, one of the three Young Mistresses of the DOLL company"

"DOLL? Oh I've heard of the company," said Fitzenburg, "one of the largest companies in England, France, and Germany.

Except they weren't allowed to trade with Germany anymore because of some problems with the government"


	11. Chapter 12

"_Don't you know there ain't no devil? There's only God when He's drunk."_

Chatter began to fill the gigantic living room, as we waited for what seems like an eternity, for the long forgotten further instruction. The butler Dan would come around here and there, offering food and mostly wine. As for me, they have juices which are not my favorite things to drink. I'd rather drink tea instead of juices.

A usual, I hate gatherings of all kinds. Especially pointless ones like this. But I didn't have the urge to leave yet, for I am anxious to find out what I can about Lanmia.

"Sebastian"

"Yes Young Mistress?"

"I want you to observe this place, in case there's anything strange"

Sebastian smiles, "I've already did"

"Then tell me, have you noticed anything?"

"Most certainly. There are currently fourteen people in this living room. They are Dan, the butler of this manor and the thirteen guests including you and me. Among them, the ones we knew about are Detective Baerch and Grayhem, Mr. Fitzenburg, and Miss Marlene Street"

"And Gaspard Lowe"

"You know him?"

"Yeah, he's like me, one of the experiments of Lanmia. I've come across him a few times at the lab"

"Hm, interesting… then there is Iris Del Lerons"

"Who is she?"

"She is a prostitute… who claimed that her son got kidnapped by Ian Randolph. It's all in the news"

"Demons read news?"

"Hm, why not?" Sebastian shrugs. "The identity of all the other five guests is still unknown"

The front door to the living room opens again as the maids step inside.

"We will call you one by one. The one whose name was called will follow us into one of the doors. The first name will be Grayhem" And so Grayhem stands up and follows the maids into one of the doors to the right of the living room.

"What's the most bizarre," Sebastian continues, "are this whole manor and this living room"

"What do you mean?"

"On our way to the living room, we are just walking in a long hallway that leads straight from the entrance. The hallway is too narrow for most manors, only enough to fit one person in front of the other.

In the hallway, there is nothing but walls and a door straight ahead as if it was intended to lead you straight into the living room where it's the most important"

"In most rich manors, they would at least have a window or pictures to show off its wealth. But… there was nothing"

"Not only that, but the whole manor seems abnormally large and twisted.

The living room of course, is certainly strange"

I glance around, "now that you mentioned it, this room really is weird. There are five doors this living room. There's the one at the back that leads from the entrance, three at the right side of the wall, and one at the left next to an abnormally large painting.

Not only that, the large balcony window in the middle of the wall in front is just too… noticeable"

"Impressive," Sebastian claps his hands, "indeed"

The maids come in and out, calling each names of the guests as they disappear one by one. Soon, there is no one left but Sebastian and I. Then Melroy comes in.

It is obvious that the next one will be me.

"Miss Dolorie, you will be called after Sebastian"

"Wait, what?"

"I'm sorry but, I must stay with Young Mistress at all times," said Sebastian.

Melroy shakes her head as her short red curls swings back and forth, "I'm afraid that cannot happen" the room is silent for a brief moment.

Then finally, I answer, "fine. Take him" Melroy nods as Sebastian stands up.

Before he leaves, he lowers his face next to my ear and whispers, "if Young Mistress ever needs me"

Then he slightly brushes past my eye patch as I feel my heart skips a beat. How foolish. Stop with the foolishness Faustine! With that, he left with Melroy.

Few minutes later, as I sat alone on the couch in this giant living room, the butler comes in from one of the doors, pushing a cart of food served on a silver platter and some wine.

He stops next to my couch and offers me some pastries which I refuse, since nothing ever tastes as good ever since Sebastian started to prepare all three meals for me, including the desserts. The butler covers his platter.

"Then," he says, "It is now time for you to go in"

"But the maids aren't here yet," I said, feeling panicked.

I was very confident before, that I will be the one who will crush this Randolph guy and maybe force some information out of him. But that was before Sebastian left with the maids. Now that he isn't here, it feels as if a protective barrier was lifted from around me, making me feel vulnerable. I think I may have relied on him just a bit too much.

"That doesn't matter, since I'll be the one escorting you" The butler smiles and reaches out a gloved hand for me to take. I remain on the couch, motionless.

"If Miss Dolorie refuses to participate, you may never leave this place. In worse conditions, your life may be at stake."

How can this butler manage to say such a thing in such a less horrible way? But I bet Sebastian does that all the time.

"So either way," I say, as I stand up from my couch, ignoring Dan's gloved hand, "I'll be killed"

Dan seems to be amused by my bluntness.

"Please, follow me," he says as we walk to the one and only wooden door on the left side of the living room, next to the gigantic self portrait. He takes out a key from his pocket and opens the door. "The game will start right after you step into this room. Once you do, you can never turn back since I'll be locking this door behind you"

I can't hesitate anymore. This will be the path I take.

"I don't care, hurry up and get on with this"

"Gladly" With that, Dan steps away from the door as I walk into the surprisingly small room.

The door closes, follow by the sound of the key locking the door. This room is… small. It's like a small narrow rectangle, with no windows but a rug, covering the wooden floor. There is also a small fireplace on the left that was lit with burning fire and in front of the fireplace is a rocking chair.

At the far end of the room, you might expect that a door would be there. But there is no door… instead, there's a single book shelf full of books, attached to the dull red wall.

"That guy… was he planning on locking me in here?" I walk around, tracing my fingers along the perfect red wall paper. This room… shouldn't be this small.

The left of the living room outside was large enough to hang a picture, as tall as the wall itself and yet, there is only one door. But that one door leads to such a tiny room which doesn't make any sense. I knock on the wall three times… just as I thought, the wall sounds hollow. There must be space on the other sides of the walls.

I wonder if there is any code, or a secret button that gets me to the other side. I look around the room for anything suspicious or usually, "out of place." I take a look at the fireplace and realize that there's a small flame thrower, keeping the fire from burning out. I guess it's so that the person who was trapped inside wouldn't be able to climb out from the fireplace.

But the bookshelf is attached to the wall. It must be those kinds where it can flip itself when you take out a certain book. How will I know which book to take? I look up and found that there is a clock on the wall over the book shelf.

Heh, how cruel, the clock must be there to tell the trapped person how long they've been trapped. Wait a minute… the clock! In some mystery novels I've read, that the clock always tells something other than the time. The seconds hand on the clock isn't even moving. It always points to twelve a clock.

I walk over and climb up the book shelf, straining my arms. Damn, I'm not a very athletic person… if Sebastian was here he would've… no, stop relying on that demon! He is a demon who cannot be a whole heartedly trusted. I open the glass case that covers the clock and start turning the big hands.

In most mystery novels, if the hands were to go all the way around the clock, it would activate a trap door of some sort. Finally the big hand goes around the clock twelve times making it twelve a clock again. Then, there is a sudden rumbling sound from behind the wall. Instead of the bookshelf, the whole part of the wall flips over while I am still clinging on to the bookshelf.

I hop off the book shelf and down on to a blue carpeted floor. Behind the walls of the tiny room with a fireplace, is actually a long dark hallway with the only source of light from the full moon outside a large balcony window on the left side of the hallway. Then there are three doors on the left and another three doors at the far end. The walls are just plain white, making this room look sort of… blue.

I walk over to the balcony window and look outside just to see more of Mr. Randolph's graveyards with more graves crowding around right outside the window. Most grave stones don't even have names. But even for a man as rich as Randolph, this amount of graves is just too much! The bare grounds seem so motionless and still, compare to the dark feathered raven fluttering around, squawking and screaming.

Somehow, I start to feel an intense pressure in my chest, making it pretty hard to breath. I let out a breath as I lean on to the window, suddenly gasping for air. What is happening? My shoulders feel so heavy.

Then I start to hyperventilate while receiving no air at all, images… horrible images flashes through my head!

Wh- what is this? People screaming… blood… splattered everywhere in this same blue hallway like a long red box. Images of torn limbs… blood stained axes…

No stop. Stop it…

"Stop it!" I screamed, and then everything is over. Everything is quiet again… too quiet. Except, I have a very disturbing feeling of being watched.

There is a feeling, a presence, behind me.

Somewhere at the back of my mind, a voice keeps telling me, "run away! Don't look behind you… Don't" Before I could react to anything… BANG.

A giant ax lands right on the wall next to my head.

I gasp and stumble on to the floor. There, standing before me, in the darkness is nothing but a hooded figure holding an ax. It's the same ax as the blood stained ones in the images just now.

"Ah…" I shakily crawl backwards as the figure starts to advance towards me.

Then it raises the ax and swings it down at me barely missing my legs. I quickly stand back up and run or pretty much stumble, for my legs feel so much like jelly. The figure grabs on to my hair and slams my face down on to the ground. Then once again it raises the ax.

"Se…bastian" I whispered his name. No. I'm not going to die like this. I'll live.

I kick my foot up and hit him in the chest as I hear a low grunt. His hands loosen and I struggle to turn around and face the figure. I'll live… I'll make him pay. I'll make all those who humiliated me pay. I grab on to its neck and there comes the sizzling sound of a rotting corps, followed by its wail.

"Gaaa!" With that, I roll away and out from under the figure. Then I stand up and dash down the hallway and into the middle door at the end. Inside the middle room, is another strange room… with a smaller room in the middle, or more like a small closet.

I notice a dark liquid at the bottom of the door to the room in the middle. Could it be blood? I slowly walk over to the door and hesitantly turn its knob and open the door…

Inside the room is a hideous corps. It is one of the guests whose limbs had been separated, just like the images. The image makes me feel nauseous in the stomach. I feel like I'm going to throw up. I don't know what to do but to back up and close the door.

This game… is called 'hunt.' Except we're not hunting anything, instead, I think they are hunting us…


	12. Chapter 13

"_There are more dead people than living. And their numbers are increasing. The living are getting rarer.__"_

__Eugene Ionesco_

The sounds of the faint footsteps echo through the dark blue hallway… slowed and taking its time, enjoying the moment of being a predator. Eyeing with pleasure at the helpless prey crawling towards the only door it can see as the predator step forward with a… creak.

_Creeeak_… The obnoxious nerve racking floor creaks followed by a thud that pounds and makes my heart race every time the sound seems to get nearer and nearer to the door of this room. Each time the floor creaks, I would panic, trying to find somewhere to hide. The dissected limbs of one of the guests had already occupied the small room or the closet in the middle. It doesn't seem like there would be any other trap doors around.

There are some old boxes laying around the corners and a window on the left with two long red curtains… _creeeak_… That's not good, the sound is getting near and something's coming, though I don't know what. The sound continues then finally stops, just on the other side of the door. Then it slows in to a long _creeeeeeeeeeeak_ and the door bursts open, slamming onto the other side of the wall with a BANG!

A person whom I recognized as a guest falls through the door and into the room, panting and coughing up blood. A figure comes up from behind the panicked guest with the same blood stained ax that I had witnessed. I couldn't see anything clearly for I was hiding behind the long red curtains, silent and never daring to move even an inch. The ax was raised and followed by shrieks, screams, and cries of pain.

I tightly cover my ears, not wanting to hear anymore of this dreadful ear-piercing scream. Still I couldn't help but make out the words of "stop, please! Somebody… help me please!" But I'm no help. I'm too weak… I can't do anything!

The scream finally stops and the guest stop struggling. I cover my mouth, trying to keep myself from screaming out loud. I'm a coward. I'm so selfish.

He didn't have to die. Things might've been different if I were to step out from behind the curtain. The figure starts to search with its newly stained ax. For what, could it be for me? He opens the door to the middle room as the bloody limbs fall out and crumble on to the floor next to the other guest that was killed just now.

The figure then gathers all the limbs together in its arm the drags the other body out of the room, leaving a long trail of blood… 'Two down, eleven more to go…' I sat behind the dark red curtains for how long? Hmm… I don't know anymore maybe for about twenty minutes or so.

Unable and still not daring to move, I stayed like a solid statue, like a shell without a soul and doze off but not completely asleep for I realized that I still have to be cautious. With my head buried into my arms, my eyelids half closed into my silk sleeves, I thought of Sebastian. I called him but he didn't come. Of course, it is easy for a person to get lost in this mansion; Sebastian is not a person, he is a demon.

A demon that is perfect and cunning to the point where this maze should be like a child's play to him. I risk my pride in the end and quietly whispered his name as the slaughtering took place, but he didn't answer and he didn't come. Is it because I'm not the Ciel whom he always mentioned so thoughtfully, so full of pride? I can't help but feel a tiny bit of jealousy at the bottom pit of my stomach. Nausea starts to build up inside me as I remember, and notice that single trail of blood on the floor.

Strange… I should already be used to all this blood and gore. After all, I was a part of my father's experiment. I remember those times too well, including the last conversation I had with him… in my cell. I asked him, "Why are you doing this, father? To mother, how can you still smile?"

He eyed at my weak form and at my naive ness, then replied, "how ironic… I can ask your mother that same question. How can she still smile when she had you? You, being 'her' daughter should know why I'm doing this"

"But… don't you love her?"

"…Love? I have no idea what you mean"

I have no idea what I meant myself at that time. The thing that never existed from the start… not for me. "Well, this memory kind of motivates me," I said to myself, as I finally stand up. I walk out from behind the curtains and towards the one and only door, which leads to that blue hallway from before, stepping over that trail of blood.

When I'm out in the hallway, I choose another door next to the one that I just came out of. That door leads to a complete different hallway where you can barely see anything since there is not one window or light at all. The hallway is made of cement and woods. I should choose a different door that leads to a lighter place.

But before I could, I hear another footsteps sound from the next door, so I quickly run into the dark hallway. The door opens and a dark hooded figure steps outside and starts to notice the echoing sound I made while inside that dark hallway. Then, the lights come in from behind as I start to run faster than I ever could –for the lights must be coming from the outside as the hooded figure opens the door to this hallway. - The figure starts to chase after my footsteps sound.

Despite how I could barely see anything at all, I kept running and that's all I can do. I should've brought my Rosery with me. Why am I'm so stupid? Then, I bump into a wall in front of me.

I turn left and right to just to realize that this hallway leads to nothing. The only way I can go is back, which is where the hooded figure is coming from… including the sounds of gunshots. Looks like he's carrying a gun this time.


	13. Chapter 14

_"__Sleep, sleep, my beloved,  
without worry, without fear,  
although my soul does not sleep,  
although I do not rest._

_Sleep, sleep, and in the night  
may your whispers be softer  
than a leaf of grass,  
or the silken fleece of lambs._

_May my flesh slumber in you,  
my worry, my trembling.  
In you, may my eyes close  
and my heart sleep."_

__Gabriel Mistral_

They say that your life flashes before your eyes when you are about to die… or get shot. I've never believed this ridiculous theory and I sure hoped that it wasn't true for I have nothing more to remember but those horrible, painful memories that make my thirst for revenge. Still, for some reason I keep having some flash backs about my father who wasn't even related to me at all. I figured that could be the reason why he hates me, because I remember the time when he was expressing his feelings to no one in particular because he wasn't even expecting me to answer… since I was gagged.

"Faustine," he said, "you mother was a beautiful woman, especially her dark wavy hair. It's really such a pity that she turned out like this. She cheated on me when she learned that I had an affair with another woman, and so she accidentally got pregnant with you. Poor Faustine, the unwanted child. You should have neverbeen born"

The sounds of the steady footsteps and the clicking of his gun can be heard not too far away. I start to feel the walls around me, looking for any types of buttons or different textures of the walls that could indicate a trap door that could take me somewhere. Again, this hallway is too narrow. There must be more room on the other side.

"So you should thank me, Faustine. You were actually born because I had an affair with women other than your mother" _Then that's really too bad for you father, for I shall be the key to your destruction._ After his lab was burned down, he disappeared while the traces of Lanmia, drugs, and the defective experiments remained. Some died from the fire and just like that, father was said to be dead. But I knew he is alive.

He has to be alive, for I still have dreams and nightmares of him. Another gunshot was heard as the bullet struck the wall next to my right shoulder. I start to panic as I whisper, "Sebastian… Sebastian where are you?" Suddenly, the wall to my right slides open as a hand reaches out, grabbing me by my arm and pulls me into the wall as it closes back up.

Everything is still a dark abyss behind the walls. There is nothing to see but darkness, as the sounds of the gunshots fade away. I can still feel the presence of the person who pulled me in. I start to turn around as two pairs of gentle hands hold me in my place.

"Be careful, this place is narrow," a woman's voice said, "we're actually standing at the top of a staircase"

"From the sound of your voice you must be Miss Del Lerons," I said.

"Oh my," she gasps, "it's true. But may I ask who you are?"

"You don't even know who you saved?"

"Of course，I could barely see anything here. I've only just heard you panicking outside"

I sighed and lean against the wall behind me, facing the direction where Miss Del Leron's voice had came from. "I'm Faustine," I said.

"Oh, that girl… er- one of Mr. Dolories's daughters?"

"Well actually, I'm his niece-"Before I could finish, something warm and soft wraps itself around me and I realize that Miss Del Lerons is embracing me.

"Wha-"

"You poor child, you must've been scared to death in this horrible place"

"I- I'm not a child!" The embrace is full and … almost comfortable. How long ago was I embraced like this?

A hug full of warmth and love, I wonder how it would feel to be embraced by... Sebastian. "Miss Del-"

"Please, call me Iris," she said, as she releases me from her hug.

Tap, tap, tap…

"Iris, something's coming from the bottom of the staircase"

Iris froze as I hold my breath. The tapping sound seems to have gotten louder as we focus on the noise. Then, a small glow of light appears from the bottom as I relax my shoulders a little. If it was a hunter, they would rather have no lights at all so that we wouldn't know what's coming.

"Who is this?" I asked, as Iris pulls me back by my shoulders.

The light travels towards our direction as a shadow appears along with a figure.

"Ha, I thought you were one of the hunters," a voice said. Finally, it became clear that behind that pale skinned hand that is holding a candle was a boy who looks a bit older than me, with silver hair and the eyes with an unnatural color of gold.

The lights illuminated from the candle makes his eyes seem as if they have been sprinkled with golden dusts.

"You're Gaspard," I said.

Gaspard smiles and nods, "it has been quite a while Faustine, ah and you must be Iris Del Lerons" I can see Iris now and her bright red lips from the light of the candle. I remember Gaspard and his usual layback ways, never having a bit of care to the world, not even death.

"So, I bet you guys already knew about the hunters," he said.

"You mean there was more than one hunter?" Iris asked.

"Well, there are twelve guests," I said, "how can one person kill thirteen people who are running around in a maze?"

"And plus, I found out from these notes" Gaspard takes out a bunch of crumbled paper money from his pockets. The money was all bloodstained but you can still make out the faded letters written on them.

"Where did you get this," Iris asked, as Gaspard hands us the crumbled paper money.

"I found it on the floor and around the corner, here and there.

The note seems to be written by two people"

"You're right!" Iris exclaims, "They were writing to each other"

"They must have been the victims before us. Since they don't have any paper around they use their money"

"It seems that they got separated," I said while reading the old paper money. "So in order to communicate with each other, they drop notes on the ground hoping that the other person will come across and read the message" The conversation starts with the note that Iris has. The person who wrote it was looking for somebody, whom I presume was the person who wrote the note I have.

The note starts off with _"Where are you?"_ in small messy letters. Then followed by:

"_Go back, it's dangerous!"_

"_Tell me where you are. Where am I?"_

"_Don't go near. Leave NOW"_

"_What is happening here?"_

"_Run away, don't look back"_

"_There are 3- ax, gun, and sword"_

"_We don't have enough time left"_

"_What is all this! Help me!" _

_"They would smell you, feel you, kill you, and eat you"_

"_What are you saying?"_

"_Blood… your blood… my blood… our blood. Blood, blood, lots and lots of blood…"_

"That person must've gone insane," Gaspard said, full of amusement as he stuffs all the old paper money into his pocket after crumbling them back up. Gaspard is the kind of person who is able to smile ever so happily while staring at a pile of rotten dead bodies. He'd laugh at people's despair and was often curious at how people would deal with their misery. I think it was because of all the experiment they had done to him that made him became a bit mentally unstable.

"That's just terrible!" Iris exclaimed, covering her red lips with her net gloved hands.

"Was… was that what he did to my son…"

Gaspard shrugs, "Who knows. The only thing I can confirm is that there are three hunters looking for us"

"The note said –there are 3- ax, gun, sword-, "I said.

"The ax, the gun, and the sword should be the weapons they carry."

We all ponder in silence for a moment when a loud "thump" comes from the wall behind us making Iris jump away.

"What was that?" She panics and steps back again.

"Come," Gaspard gestures to the stairs, "we better get going or else the hunters are going to catch up to us"

With that, he heads down the dark stair case that seems as if it leads to nothing at all as Iris follows with me behind her. The light from the candle Gaspard is holding serves as a guide that leads us, our only source of light. The staircase leads to yet another long dark passage way. The only things I can hear are our uneven footsteps.

"So Miss Del Lerons," Gaspard starts, breaking the silence, "you are here looking for your son, you say?" There is a long pause as our echoing footsteps continue.

Then finally, Iris answers, "Yes. Yes, I'm here looking for my son though I don't know if he is alive or not."

From the light, her eyes seem sad but desperate. She seems desperate to find her son, so desperate that she would voluntarily walk into this trap set up just for her. I couldn't help but wonder if my mother would do the same for me… if she was in her right mind.

I loved her very much because she would always listen to what you have to say… and that was all she ever does. Sometimes, she would smile as if she actually comprehends what you were saying and you couldn't help but feel happy and hopeful that she might be well again. Then the next thing you know, you'll be looking at her screaming, tossing her head around, and pulling out her dark strands of hair.

"Oh? What's his name?" Gaspard asks in his usual pleasant voice.

"Leonard, Leonard Del Lerons" Leonard… Del Lerons… I've heard of that name before. But where have I heard it? Don't tell me… The unthinkable reason and the reason I that couldn't say out loud must be what plagues Gaspard's mind seeing as how it is now his turn to be silent.

"Leonard… Del Lerons, huh"

No Gaspard, he better not tell her what happened... "Your son… he-"

"Gaspard!" I interrupted, but to my surprise, Gaspard continues with a different answer than I had expected.

"Your son must be alive and well," his tone softens as he turns back and smiles at Iris. "I'm sure he must be waiting for you, right Faustine?"

I'm surprised. "Huh? Oh… right," I replied.

That guy actually… protected Iris's feelings.

"Well," Gaspard laughs, "like mother, like son" I know where Leo was and of course, Gaspard knows too. That is why the name Del Lerons had sounded so familiar. Why, Leonardo was Gaspard's one and only closest friend… back in the lab.

Besides using children as experiments, there is no other reason for Lanmia to abduct a boy like Leonardo. Back in my father's lab that works for Lanmia, Gaspard, Leonardo, Alexion, and I were the closest to each other and had the most experiments performed because we were the ones out of the many that weren't defective. "Leo must be missing you right now and everyday"

Indeed, Leo missed and talked about his mother every day.

I used to think he was annoying because he was such a crybaby. Gaspard is the one who misses him the most, I can tell from his sudden change in character. After Gaspard's last comment, Iris becomes silent again as she suddenly stops and covers her face with both of her hands. Her shoulders shake as she starts to sob.

When she realized that she couldn't hold it in any longer, she bends down and lets her tears drop on to the dark stoned floor. I want to hug her and comfort her because then again, if my mother was in her right mind, she would cry every single day. I often found myself wondering, "If my mother was well, what would she be like?" Would she be like Iris?

I step forward, intending to hug her but somehow Gaspard beats me to it, as he hugs and pats her back.


	14. Chapter 15

_"Escape for your life; do not look behind you; do not stop anywhere in the plain; climb up the mountain, or you may be destroyed!"_

"I have to find my son….I have to find him!" Iris cries. Her lips quiver as Gaspard's embrace tightens around her shoulders. "It's my fault… I -if I hadn't leave him alone that time…."

"Iris," I softly whisper, "your son… Leo must still be alive so..."

"If I hadn't taken him with me…" she laughs in a darker tone, "he would've still been well and alive back at the orphanage… He would have a better parent who is not a prostitute!"

**Where**** in the world is Sebastian****…**

"…So…" Detective Greyham walks around, speculating this….small rounded room, trying to figure out which door to follow through next after the last one. With Detective Baerch around investigating, or should I say exploring, this bizarre chamber, I as Faustine's loyal butler am now trying to figure out a way to get to my Young Mistress as soon as possible.

"I wonder which door we should delve into next," Bernard questioned out loud.

"Well it better not be another trap room.

Every entrance that you've directed us into always leads to trouble! I mean really, are you sure you're a detective? We were lucky to have Sebastian around or else we would've been long dead!"

"Well yeah," Baerch chuckles as he rubs his nose from the dusts, "I mean, wow… he was good"

"You! Do you realize that we're in a life threatening situation here?" My, my, my… are they seriously adults, I should ask… but then again I probably shouldn't. Yes, I had picked up these two troublesome pests while I was on my way to Faustine.

As a demon that I am, I usually couldn't have cared less if both of them were to be buried alive or slow sliced to death. I somehow saved them since they are both detectives and might be able to figure out a way around this manor but so far, they've proved to be even more annoying than I had anticipated, not that I really need them or anything. I'm just _**pretending**_ to be lost. Seriously, if it weren't for Faustine, I would've blew this whole building up without even a care instead of wondering pointlessly around in this ridiculous room. This… red rounded room where everything, the curtains, the floor, the wall… is that of a crimson color.

There is one huge window in the middle with three doors across, which are the doors that Greyham was speculating.

"Well maybe Sebastian has an idea," says Baerch, "he's really clever and observant. Last time when I took Faustine and him to see a corps, he managed to tell the wounds and cuts apart"

"Oh really…" Greyham raises an eyebrow at me, "so what should we do Sebastian?"

Both of them turn to look at me at the same time. They certainly looked like twins with the same colored hats and trench coats. Maybe all detectives have a thing for trench coats and the color brown.

"Well..." I start, "first do you have any stick like objects?"

"Ooh! See Greyham? He has an idea!"

"Here, use my cane," Greyham said, as he hands me his cane that sort of reminds me of Ciel's, except it's larger. I reach out and stood the crane up with its bottom touching the ground.

Greyham and Baerch both lean in towards the cane to see what sort of an interesting trick I had came up with. Then finally, I let the cane go, causing it to fall on to the red carpeted floor with the top pointing to the middle door.

"We're choosing the middle door," I said as I point at the middle red door, in case my so called affective method had been a bit too confusing for them to understand.

"Th- this is your method?" Greyham asked.

"Hm… maybe it has a deeper meaning to it," Baerch says.

"Don't screw with me!"

"Well," I reply in a bored tone, "since my mind is blank at the moment… I might as well use this method. I mean it's usually what Faustine would do if she gets lost"

"Well that's true. You must be too busy worrying about your Mistress to think of anything else"

"Yes, I'm glad you understand," I smiled at Baerch, intending to ignore that _thing_ rambling in the background.

"Hey you two, don't ignore me!"

**Faustine**

The dark and seemingly endless passage-way finally leads to a large capacious basement with a bunch of arches built randomly all over the cement floor. The arch and the walls are made of red bricks, lit by the metal torches that are attached randomly on the walls. Gaspard had thrown his candle away since the torches are enough to light up some parts of the basement.

"It seems that you have calmed down a bit," Gaspard says to Iris.

Iris nods her head and smiles.

"Thank you, for comforting me back there and I'm sorry for causing you trouble"

"No problem," he says, as he continues to walk in his usual relaxed way.

"While you on the other hand," I say, "is and has always been so freakishly calm. It's as if you don't have any fear at all"

"Oh, what is this?" Gaspard chuckles, "a pot calling a kettle black?" Since I'm not even going to bother arguing with the likes of him, I just reply with '_hn!'_ and turn my head away making Iris laugh a little. "Finally, you laughed," says Gaspard.

Huh, how unusual for Gaspard to actually care for a person. Back then, Gaspard had been the most pleasant person in the sickest way. I remember him saying something like, _"so experiment number 36 died? Gee that's too bad. Now we don't have to listen to that chatterbox anymore"_.

"Wait," he whispers with a sudden cautiousness.

"What is it?" Iris nervously asked.

I can hear the sounds of the footsteps approaching behind us.

"He managed to find us!" I exclaimed.

"Shoot, hey bend down!" Gaspard shouts as he bends both of our heads down followed by a loud **BANG**.

"Gaspard, why do you have to shout?" I whisper in frustration, "You're telling him where we are"

But what surprises me when I look up is the painful look in Gaspard's face as he holds tightly on to his left shoulder.

"Don't tell me," Iris exclaims, "you got shot!"

"We don't have time," Gaspard stops and gasps in pain as the figure start to walk forward, desperately searching for us, "quick we have to find a place to hide… that corner on the left between the walls of the arches… quick!"

With that, Iris immediately takes Gaspard's right arms over her shoulder as we all try to tip toe over to that corner without the hunter noticing. When we finally reached our safe corner, Iris leans Gaspard against the wall while I peek out from behind the wall on our right, which keeps us out of site.

"We can't stay here for long," I say, "If he keeps walking forward he'll see us"

"But he _will_ see us as soon as we step out of this corner!" Gaspard half yelled.

"So either way, he can still find us and we'll be killed"

"…No we won't," says Iris, "it's just one person with a gun. He can't take all of us at the same time?"

"Are you crazy? You're telling us to go against a man with a gun"

"No Gaspard, I'm talking about the opposite. That hunter, he can't shoot all three of us at once. If all of us were to run forward at the same time to that door up ahead"

"But it's too risky," Gaspard sighs, "one of us might get shot"

"Well it's better than all of us getting shot without doing anything about it," Iris said. Gaspard glances at me, then at Iris.

"Fine then" Gaspard peeks out from the wall at the hooded figure that is finally in site, dragging his gun. "We don't have much time. He isn't that far away from us now, so we should go on a count of three"

"Isn't that somehow… reckless?" Iris asked.

"Like I've said we don't have time to plan. Now, on a count of three, okay?" Wait, don't I have a say in this?

I'm not ready yet. Sebastian, I'm not ready to do this alone yet. Gaspard steps forward as I quickly grab on to his white blouse that are now stained with his blood. He winced and steps back.

"What are you doing?"

"So- sorry"

"Faustine, this is our only chance of living now"

"…"

"Don't you want your revenge?"

"F-fine, let's just go. I'm not scared"

Iris pats my head and ruffles my hair a little, "do you know the story of Lot?"

"You mean about Lot and Abraham…"

Iris smiles and leans down to make a friendly eye contact with me as she speaks, "_save your selves with all haste. Look not behind you. Get as fast as you are able to the mountain, unless you are involved in the calamity of the city._

That's what the angels said when they lead Lot and his family out of Sodom. So when we start we should never turn back, even if one of us gets shot"

"If you do you might just turn into a pillar of salt," Gaspard chuckles, "just like Sodom's wife"

"All right," I agree, "let's start"

"Alright on a count of three… one….two…"

**BANG!**

The sounds of gun shots… the uneven footsteps rushing and running… the winds in my face, and the wooden door in front are the only things I'm focusing on at the moment. Iris, Gaspard, and I are all separated into different sides.

While I'm running at the left, Iris runs at the left, while Gaspard is suppose to go back and forth. A few more loud bangs and some more running footsteps, then finally a large double wooden door is in sight. We all make a dash at the wooden door when another loud gunshot was heard again.

**BANG!**

"Arrraaah!" Those scream sounds like Iris! Where is she?

"Iris!" I turn around, just to see Iris falling on to the floor, struggling with her injured right leg. "Iris, are you ok-"

"What are you doing? Remember the story of Lot? You can't turn back now! You have to go forward!"

"No! I can just drag you in. The door is right behind us!"

"Stop over estimate yourself! Go away, NOW! GO AWAY!"

"Faustine look out!" Gaspard cried as he makes me duck down, follow by another **BANG!**

"Iris, come on….Iris?" She didn't answer me as her body lies motionless on the ground. "Iris…no"

"It's too late. We better hurry"

"Wha-" Gaspard grabs tightly on to my arm and dashes towards the wooden door. After a bit of struggle, he finally opens the heavy door while another gunshot was heard.

**BANG!**

This time, the sound was so close as if it was right behind me. I look forward and saw Gaspard's astonished face looking at me…or rather, behind me.

"Gaspard, what's wrong?" I turn around just to see Iris again, and her encouraging beautiful smile.

"Iris, you're alive?" Iris grunts and coughs out blood and it splatter on the floor. "Iris….no…no! How could you… how could you block it for us?"

Another gunshot and Iris winces in pain.

"Stop that…" I whisper.

"Iris you have to get in!" Gaspard shouts. Iris shakes her head.

"Iris…" I whispered in a dark tone, "A person like you should just die already!"

"What are you talking about? Iris, come inside quick! He's coming"

Iris smiles yet again which makes her seem… happy.

"I couldn't protect my son and now I'm protecting you, Faustine and Gaspard"

"This is... this is foolish. How foolish of you to protect someone like me," I bellowed, "I'm telling you now, I've already lost my future so there's no point, Iris!"

"Ah!" Gaspard exclaims, "Iris, he's behind you!"

Iris laughs and whispers, "I know" and after that she quickly pushes me into the door and closes it behind me.

"Iris!"

"That idiot, she's still outside!"

"Godammit woman, aren't you looking for your son? You're just going to leave your precious Leonardo like this?"

**BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG…**


	15. Chapter 16

_"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified, terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."_

The door slams against its lock with a loud 'bang' as the hunter charges against the heavy wooden door, after he made sure that Iris was well dead with a few shots of his rifle. Gaspard quickly pushes a wooden drawer that happens to be next to the door. He grunts as the heavy weighted drawer finally moves to the front of the banging door.

"We got to run!" I said, "A drawer won't help much"

"At least it helps a little," Gaspard says and grabs my hand, "come on, we don't want Iris' death to be for nothing" With that, he runs as he pulls me along behind him. The banging sound of the door quickly gets louder and intense.

But as we run farther away, the sound seems to have slowly subsided. I look back at the darkness behind, where the wooden door had been. I start to wonder, about Iris. She really was an idiot, just like her son the crybaby for shielding us and me in particular who had already lost my future with her useless body.

People as nice as her… people like her never survives, they never do. Her hug was warm though and when she patted my head her hand felt… nice. Speaking of which, the only time I remembered when my mother ever hugged me was back at her old home in Normandy. I remember that it was cloudy that day where it had rained almost the whole afternoon. Out in the gardens, between the roses, I played and came home drenched looking for the younger brother I once had.

William was his name who was eight years younger than me, about three years old. I found him when I came upon his room in the mansion with mother. She was still dazed and seemed out of it as always. She sat in an old rocking chair next to William's bed with her back facing me and staring out at the windows ahead of her. The bottom of her white lace dress tangled around the rocking chair.

"Mother," I had called, "have you seen William?" I walked into the room as the light blue curtains fluttered slightly along with the breeze from the opened window. Like my mother, he had sort of an attachment to the color blue. But then again being the toddler he was light blue wasn't much of a heavy color for kids.

I stopped at the sight of William's small pale hand dangling from mother's lap as she slowly rocks back and forth with a small creak from the wooden floor hidden underneath the light blue rug. "Faustine," mother smiles happily, as she turns her head around to meet my gaze. Her dark curly hair was tide in a low pony tail as always. Those dark brown eyes had given her a mysterious look.

"Is he asleep?" I asked. But then I noticed a constant dripping sound from my mother, or was it my brother. "Something's dripping," I said, "did you go out in the rain today?" Mother didn't answer.

She never seemed to notice any of the questions I had asked. Then, she finally stands up from her rocking chair while holding William. The dripping sound seemed to have quickened its pace. I saw something dark and liquid like trickled down her white dress.

Then she turned around as I froze staring at my mother holding brother. My mother in her blood stained white dress, my mother, holding my dead brother William in her hands.

"M- Ma!"

"Shhh-" she shushed, "You'll wake him up!"

She slowly puts him down in his bed and tucks him in his cover. "Don't worry Faustine, your brother's in a much better place. Far away from here, far away from your father" Mother walked over towards me and gave me a warm tight hug.

"Now, give me a kiss"

"Faustine! Faustine we're going through that metal door ahead of us!" Gaspard pulls my arm harder with force.

"Yes I know! I mean there IS only one door ahead of us"

"Just want to make sure you're paying attention. You looked like you're in a daze" Finally, we had passed a metal door.

"There are locks on this door. You have to lock it"

"I know brat, so stop treating me like one of your servants" He fumbles with the metal lock. "There, that should do it. Now that hunter is out of the way"

I turn around and notice yet another two wooden doors in this dark room.

"Two more doors," I sigh, "what do we do now?" Gaspard thought for a moment.

Then, "those two doors were meant for us to choose one.

One of the doors might not be safe. It wouldn't help if both of us were to go into the same trap and die"

"Are you suggesting we separate? Then if what you said is true, one of us will have to die"

"Geez, why do you have to be so dark," Gaspard chuckles as I glare at him, even though he won't be able to see me in the dark.

"I'm thinking that since I'm the guy here, I'll go on ahead into one of the doors while you wait here. When I confirmed that the door is safe, I'll come back and get you" Gaspard starts to walk ahead. God, that guy is as stupid as Iris.

I quickly grab onto his sleeve.

"What? Can't get enough of me?" He jokes.

"You wish… But shouldn't I be the one to go?"

Gaspard turns around a curious look. "Why is that?"

"I'm just saying there's no use saving someone like me. I can't tell you the reason though"

Gaspard smiles his twisted smile, "as much as I rather see you dead, I would like to be dead before I kill anyone else" After that, he pats my head and ruffles my hair as I roughly tore his hand away.

Why am I always surrounded by weird people? "Hide here and count to 200. If I didn't return by the time you reach 200… then run into the other door and try to find the way out of the others." He turns around then head into the left door.

"I won't thank you for this," I called and he reaches out and waves as his figure disappears into the darkness and so I proceed with my counting starting from, "1."

But then I'm not really concentrating on counting anyway. I couldn't because I'm tired. During my counting I thought of many different things. Half of me didn't really hate my mother… for killing William because I knew what she meant. In the end William will be like my mother and I who were turned into an experiment.

Another half of me still resents her for doing what she did. That wasn't fair of her. That was cruel and she was crazy. "20" My real biological father was a great man who was nice to me and was constantly surrounded by women. I was his precious daughter until one day he just disappeared without a trace.

So then that was when my mother had brought me to England to live with William's father, where all the experiments and the sexual abuse had begun. "50" I want to be Ciel Phantomhive. Sebastian likes him and he seems to be attached to the young earl.

How silly of me to be jealous of a dead soulless boy. What was Ciel like? Was he a beauty?

Was he cold hearted and merciless.

Ciel, what have you done to win Sebastian's heart?


	16. Chapter 17

"_The lily whispers, it withers, from just not just a bunch of maggots. It bites and chews inside your brain. Pretty soon, I'm afraid you have none left…"_

What was the last number I counted? It's 50. It must be 50 so it should already be 200 seconds by now. But Gaspard still haven't come back.

I should go through the other door then. I stood between the doors for a moment. Then I tighten my eye patch and walk into not the right door, but the left door. I might as well go and see what's keeping Gaspard busy since in the end I'll still get lost.

Behind the left door is actually a cave that leads upstairs. Yes, I meant a real cave with a muddy ground. As always, the road seems never ending as little by little, I spot more and more trails of blood. Then more and more dead bodies appear and skeletons that were randomly piled on to the floor.

What it this, a lion's cave? Now it'll take me even longer to get out since I'll have to hop over corps. Minutes passed by as I walk through this dark muddy cave. I begin to feel disgusted and the need to puke from the stench of blood in the air.

Bodies were piled so randomly on the floor that I almost tripped on one of them. Were all the dead guests piled in here? Is there any of them alive right now? My mind keeps regretting that I had came and participated in this sick game of hunt.

Who is Ian Randolph anyway and why were Gaspard and I invited? But then, this Randolph guy sounded so familiar. Where have I heard of it? My thoughts take me back into one of my most disturbing memories.

_I remember how the operation had been over as I lay on the cold metal table, covered in a white sheet of blanket that got soaked by my blood which was mostly from my left thigh. I turned my head slowly to the left when I heard footsteps from that direction. It was a man dressed in one of the lab coats. I couldn't make out his face for the light above me was too bright._

"_Look what happened here?!" The man laughed, "Leaving you here unattended like that, what a loving father!" The man bends down to stroke my hair. "I'm Ian Randolph, nice to meet you. Wow, you look like you're mother!" _

_My eyes widene__d,__"__my mo- mother?" I whispered weak__l__y._

"_Faustine, you're indeed as beautiful as your mother. You'll certainly be quite a beauty when you mature into a woman. I wonder… if I could be as beautiful as your mother if I am to consume your blood… _

_You see, I loved your mother" With that, he puts his hands around my neck and tried to strangle me.__I tried to struggle, tightly grabbing on to his hands__, squirming, __as my head starts to get dizzy from the lack of oxygen._

"_Oh my," a voice echoed in my head. _

_It was soft and angelic. "Look what happened to you"_

"_Wha…" I choked and coughed. Was I hearing things? Was that an angel?_

"_Do you need any help? I could make him stop__" __The voice sounded amused which annoyed me._

"_No"_

"_No?"_

"_No, I'll die," I thought._

"_Then that's too bad because I'm not going to let you die, Ciel"_

"_Se- Sebastian?"_

"Shoot! I stepped on something," I whispered to myself. But as soon as I finished my sentence, the floor below me suddenly crumbles down as I begin to fall. "Wait a minute, what the –aaaaaah!" Just like Alice in Wonderland, I fall into another room, except this room leads to a looong flight of stairs.

God! What's with this complicated mansion?! Feeling the usual frustration inside of me, I quickly bolt up the stairs. I mean seriously, one more room and I'm going to be insane!

"Sebastian!" I called. "Sebastian when we get out of this place, I'm definitely going to torture you!" No answer, except the sounds of my heal running up the stairs. "Dammit!" I mutter, "because of this place, my boots, my hair, and my favorite white silk dress are ruined. Sebastian you're dead!"

The large metal door on the top of the stairs leads to a dark rounded room with some furniture and drawers. From the lights of the moon outside the window, I can make out the large red bed in the middle of the domed room. Oh right, did I mention the room has a huge dome? It feels refreshing to finally see some lights that came from the window and from the two glass double doors that leads to its yard… A yard!

I can go outside. Does this mean… I can be free?

"Look, you're free now," a low dark voice said. Startled, I jump and turn towards the bed. The clouds move away a bit more from the moon as the light expands even more, revealing a man in about his thirties with a dark brown hair and wearing a white blouse sitting in the bed.

"Who are you?" I asked rudely, feeling annoyed that he had distracted me from my freedom. The man laughs, "What, you've forgotten about me already? Seriously? Even if I had tried to strangle you?"

With that, I finally know who that man should be. "You're Ian Randolph," I reply in monotone. Then, I feel a sudden movement next to me as I quickly duck from a swinging ax. I dash towards the glass doors. BANG!

"Ah!" I trip and fall holding on to my bleeding arm. I got… shot? Three hooded figures stand in front of me; one holding an ax, one with a rifle, and another with a sword.

"You guys can take off your hoods now," Ian commands and so they did.

"Melrose, Melroy, and the butler?" I laughed, "Tsk, of course! Only your servants would do your dirty work.

Only they would know their way around this mansion. In fact, this had been your hobby right Mr. Randolph? Inviting guests here and have them run around in this mansion like a lab mice, then watch as your servants butcher them up!"

"Hm, so you figured it out.

Actually I was just doing a research about the relations between the fusing of genes and blood. Most of the bodies you saw were dried up without blood" Ian got up from his bed and walk over behind his servants.

"And you've purposely invited your enemies.

There was Detective Grayhem and Baerch because they are one of those people who were suspicious of your business in the black market" Yes, I should probably stall them with this. "Iris was here because you were the one who kidnapped his son for experiments and she has been trying to get evidence against you to press charges. Gaspard and I are here because you didn't want us to reveal the secrets of Lanmia"

Ian claps his hands pretending to be amazed. "You are correct, except for your case. You see, I want to experiment with your blood since you were one of the successful experiments. I have no interest in Gaspard's blood because he wasn't a complete experiment."

"I'll get you in jail for this," I growled.

Ian laughs, "In your condition? Do you have any proof?"

"The graves outside are from the people that you killed"

"So what? I could easily destroy them. Also, your father had ordered me to get you" He smiles viciously as I froze in horror immediately when I heard the word 'father' being mentioned from his mouth.

"M- My father…" I begin to shake all over and I couldn't stop myself. I can't go back. I'm not going back to that operation table! I don't want to go back!

"No," I stuttered, "N-no… No!"

Ian's smile fades, "Play time's over Faustine. Back to the lab, back to your father" My eyes went wide as Melroy aimed her rifle at my left leg.

"You won't run," she says emotionlessly.  
"No… n- no!" I cried, "Noo! Somebody help! I don't want to go back!" I crawl backwards as Melroy steps towards me. "Get me out of here! I don't want to go back!"

"Aaaah! It hurts!" I cried.


	17. Chapter 18

"_I kiss your lips and you kiss me back. I am you and you are me. Shielding you from reality and slowly eating you up from the inside, until I turn into you"_

_A sudden darkness, a sudden blindness that makes me I wish that I__ a__m dead already. This is too much… I finally got out of that horrible place. This is too much…_

"_Then, do you want me to take over?"_

"_What…?"_

"_I won't just watch as we die like this, so I'm taking over"_

"My, my… I can hear your scream all the way from the bathroom…" I calmly open my eyes and look up. There he stands, in front of me. That Sebastian holding Melroy's arm up, making her rifle aimed at the ceiling.

"When… h- how did he get here?!" Ian exclaimed as his servants stare wide eyed at Sebastian's back.

"You were in the bathroom?" I asked giving him a weird look.

"Yes," Sebastian smiles pleasantly, "and I came here as fast as I could when I heard that you said that you were going to torture me"

"You're a masochist?"

"But Young Mistress you haven't even got shot in your leg yet, and you screamed so loudly"

"Well… I guess it was because I accidentally twisted my ankle a little," I answered, poking at the girl's clumsy feet.

"Hey don't ignore us!" Ian shouts, "What were you doing in our bathroom anyway?"

"Oh you see it was all thanks to this bathroom Detective Baerch had found. It made me realize that there were actually a lot of water pipes in the ceiling"

"So what," Ian smirks, "we all need water. The water pipes from the bathroom lead out and connect all the sinks together"

"Oooh!" Sebastian claps, "that's what had made it so useful!"

"….Are you stupid or something?"

"Your room has a bathroom with a sink I presume?"

"The bathroom's hidden, but how did you know?"Sebastian smiles as his eyes flashes.

It's a sign for them to start fearing. "I know," Sebastian's voice darkens, "because the pipe leads me from the bathroom, all the way to the sink in your bathroom that's apparently hidden"

"Wha…" Ian stares at Sebastian's bright red eyes flashing and glowing in the dark.

"What are you?!" Sebastian starts to smile, like how a real hunter would smile to his enemy.

"Melroy, what are you doing? Shoot him!"

Melroy steps back from Sebastian. Dropping her rifle, she takes a gun out from her pocket and shoots Sebastian in his left eye. Sebastian grunts as he bends down. Holding his blood stained glove to cover his injured eye.

"Ha! Now you'll have to wear an eye patch like your mistress!" Ian starts to laugh. "Faustine, your father would love to use him as a test subject or even an experiment! Ha, ha!"

"Sebastian…" I commanded with an irritated tone. I don't have time for this.

"Ha! He's in too much pain to answer you!"

"Enough Sebastian, end this immediately"

"Your tone just now," Sebastian says as he got back up with both of his eyes unharmed. "It sounded so familiar, just like the olden days"

"Wait, your left eye is supposed to be all blown up by now!"

Sebastian turns around to face Ian with a pained expression, "that was very rude of you, not letting me finish my sentence. But fortunately my eyelid had saved me"

"Eyelid?!" Melroy exclaimed.

"I blinked just in time when you shoot that bullet and my eyelid had caught it"

"Damn those eyelids!" Melroy shrieks and loses her cool expression for the first time.

"But that's impossible!" Ian back away.

"Oh please, nothing is impossible… For me"

"Sebastian!"

"Yes my lady?"

"Kill them all" Sebastian blinked, "but I thought you don't like to kill"

"I changed my mind, now do it"

"Will that be your absolute order?"

"Yes! That is my absolute order!" Sebastian bows with a smile.

"Then, I shall obey your words"

"That's it, I don't care anymore. Shoot those two!"

Melroy raises her gun again to shoot as Sebastian forces her gun inside her mouth the minute she pulls the trigger. Melroy dies. Melrose who had witnessed the death of her twin swings her ax at Sebastian as she screams like a mad woman. Sebastian grabs her ax and slaps her head off her body with the back of his other hand.

As he turns around, Dan stabs him in the stomach with his sword. Sebastian grabs his sword, not letting Dorony pull the sword out. He reaches out and cracks Dorony's neck. Sebastian walks over, heading towards Ian.

"M- Monster!" Ian got silenced when Sebastian sliced him with Dan's sword.

"Work is done" Sebastian pats the dusts off his shoulder.

"Finally," I sighed as I stand up, holding my injured arm, trying not to hurt my ankle.

"Hey Sebastian"

"Yes?"

"If your eye wasn't shot back then, why was there blood on your glove?"

"Oh this?" He holds up his bloody gloved hand to examine it.

"Don't tell me, you killed the detectives because you thought they were annoying"

"No, I would only kill by your command. Though they WERE very annoying and as for the blood, it was actually a bit of ketchup from the breakfast I prepared this morning"

"…Let's go home. I'm tired."

"Yes, young mistress"

"And prepare some tea for me in the morning"

"Sebastian nods, "yes young-"

Wait a minute… didn't she say she hates tea?


	18. Chapter 19

"_Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."_

How long has it been since I was gone? During the time I was dead, what has happened to London? How did their style change so much? "Young mistress, it is time to get ready for school"

Then there was his voice that never changed from back then, "young mistress?"

"Sebastian," I answered, slowly opening my eyes to examine my surroundings. I am sitting on a large silk blue bed with a blue canopy hanging over my head. Next to me is a tall window with long white, lace curtains that drapes to the floor.

The once spotless wooden floor is now covered by royal blue rug, while the walls remain clean and white with some sculptures in the ceiling. A few steps to my other side stood a white wooden desk that matches with the white closet that stands at farther left.

"You seem to be a bit quieter this morning. Usually you would be quite… snappish"

Sebastian pushes a silver cart of my breakfast over to my bed.

"Just as you had ordered, today's drink will be Darjeeling tea. The breakfast will be served with two toasts and butter-"

"With jam," I quickly added. Yes, something sweet and fruity.

"But young mistress, you had specifically told me that you prefer butter"

"I never said that" Sebastian had a bit of a confused look on his face but he quickly shrugs it off and starts to rub the jam on the toasts with a knife. Then he pours the orange colored tea into the teacup. His movements are swift as usual.

"Did you burn the mansion?" I asked as I take a sip from the teacup which tastes a bit odd for me since I haven't had any tea in so long.

"Yes, just as you've instructed," Sebastian replies with a smile.

"What happened to the detectives and Gaspard?" I put the tea cup down and take a small bite from the toast, tasting the sweet jam on my tongue.

"Apparently they were the only ones alive. They are now at the hospital. It seems somebody must've found them by the roadside where I had left them"

"Mmhm," I sit back and lean on to my pillow, satisfied. Besides the fact that I had gotten my memory back, that girl is still inside of me so therefore I possess all of her memories and can feel all of her emotions. Detective Baerch would be a very useful person for finding the clues about Lanmia. Gaspard, his ability will be useful in the future. Still, Faustine is alive and I should be dead.

But I am not going to let her out that soon yet for I'm only starting to enjoy myself here. Sebastian walks over towards the large white closet and opens the double doors.

"I have already picked out your outfit for today," he said, as he takes out a light green, lace dress with a small, brown wool hat. I stare at the dress, forgetting for a moment that I am currently a girl.

The air fills with the laughter of children around the green fields. Ahead of the fields and next to a tall oak tree is the school surrounded by large iron gates. The school is a long, brown, and wooden building with many windows. I walk along the dirt road that surrounds the field which leads to the front gate.

This place is like a quiet countryside full of innocent places, innocent people, innocent clouds, and innocent skies. Had London always been this peaceful or had it simply changed. Back then, all that was in my mind were simply revenge and a bunch of unanswered questions of, "who had done it and why?" It seemed that never in my lifetime had I stop to take a look at my surroundings.

It was as if nobody except me existed. Nothing else mattered except for Sebastian and I. "Fausty!" A girly voice called, followed by a hug from behind and tightly squeezing me half to death. I turn around to see a familiar young girl in a pink laced dress with short blonde curls and bangs.

It… can't be! "Li- Lizzy!" The girl looks around at the walking people.

"Lizzy? Where? Is that a new transfer student?" She asked excitedly.

"No," I laugh, "It's nothing" Of course Lizzy wouldn't be alive in this era even though they both look very similar, except how Lizzy's eyes were green while Urice's eyes are light blue. Lizzy's hair was much longer.

Nothing else mattered?

What was I thinking? What about Lizzy, Bard, Finny, Meilin, and… Madame Red?

"Hey Fausty, have you seen anything on the news yet?" Urice asked with her large questioning eyes that remind me once again of Lizzy's face.

"No," I reply. Apparently Faustine wasn't a news person. I wouldn't really help since I only remember the news from Queen Victoria's time.

"Hmm I haven't listened to the radio lately.

"But I heard from my parents that the other countries have joined the war"

"The… war?" There was a war?

"I think it was Austria, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa…" How ridiculous, Faustine.

You didn't even know about the war. Of course, Urice would have to know about the world news, being in the Moore family that owns one of the elite hospitals that also worked for the military. They even have their family ring, a dark violet stone with a golden letter **M **carved inside. And so Urice follows me into the classroom like she always does where Mr. Lanson had always stood behind the teacher's stand.

The difference is that that classroom is now dead silent, thanks to Sebastian.

"Now then everyone," Sebastian claps his hands together and smiles pleasantly, "we will start off today's class with some history" He turns swiftly around as if he was dancing in waltz, satisfied that the classroom is finally dead silent.

"Urice and Faustine please quickly take your seats," he said, as he starts writing abnormally fast on the already dented chalkboard.

"U-um…" one of the students, Randy… I think, starts to ask as Sebastian stops.

"Yes Randy?"

"When is Mr. Garson going to come back?"

Sebastian turns back around to his black board, "don't ask stupid questions. This applies to all of you. If you don't get anything that means you're simply not smart enough"

"How ridiculous!" Urice whispers from a seat behind me as I smirk a little.

Of course, that Sebastian would say something like that to anybody, not caring one bit. Well except towards me, his former master. He was usually polite, on the surface that is, and many of the things he had said were ironic. I watch his back as he writes our history notes on the black board and remembered his back as he… left me…and my soul.

I could never understand that demon and his ways of doing things, his ways of mockery. At times, he seemed foolish and pitiful as he does things for a mere soul like mine. Other times, he seemed still, like a pitiful and disgusting leech. Why would you leave my lost, tainted soul uneaten? Why did you leave me all alone by myself?

Without you, it seemed as though the reason for my existence was gone. I spend the rest of my life longing for you and desire for you. You were like a drug to me that poisoned my vexed mind with memories of you. I didn't even know when my desire had started or when it ended.

I just knew that… I loathed you after what you did. If demons can die from a gun, I would puncture a deep hole through your non existing heart and watch as you bleed along with your mocking, sinful grin. "Sebastian…" I whispered. He stopped to look back at his textbook but I knew that he heard me.

He must've been confused that Faustine would suddenly whisper his name in the middle of the class. That stubborn girl would never do such a thing. Her desire and mine are on a different level. That's right Sebastian, keep on going with your fakeness but I know that you are clearly aware that this is no longer Faustine Dolorie.

The after school bell rings as most of the "frightened" students rush out of their classroom, no, I mean they literally ran. I stayed behind with Urice and some other girls while putting my books into my bag. "Hey do you know that they opened a new restaurant in the downtown central?" Urice asked.

"Yes, I know," another girl, I think her name is Caroline, blurted, "they serve Italian foods. I want to try there so bad!"

"The interior of the restaurant is also cute too," said Rue.

"Then maybe we should all go eat there now! Right after school," says Urice, "Fausty you're coming with us" To modern day London, huh.

"Well, it's better than eating at home," I said. With that everyone pause and they stare at me with their astonished eyes. "…What?"

"No, it's just that you would usually say no," Rue said with a smile.

"I know! You usually don't go out with us. Did you get into a fight with your family or something?"

"No… No, I just decide that I should go out with Urice once in a while," I reply and turn towards Urice, and shockingly instead of a grateful expression, her face looks kind of shocked in a frightening way.

After our agreement, between my 'girl friends,' we start to head out of the classroom. There's no need to tell Sebastian, since he already heard our conversation. Even if she is the target of Lanmia, they wouldn't really try to kill her in public now would they. The girls in the modern days talk about the most random things.

It's as if they have nothing better to talk about. Clothes, boys, and hair are all minor things. As we walk past the shop windows and some outlets, I realize that London had definitely changed a lot. There are now more advanced automobiles in the streets rather than horse drawn carriages. I saw less dark corners where the homeless would lay.

Passing by an antique shop, I finally saw something I recognized. A toy boat made by the Funtom company that are placed right next to a small rounded mirror which stands up so that you can see your own reflection as you happen to pass by. In the mirror I saw Faustine instead of me, with her dark brown bangs, her straight hair that curves inward at her shoulders and her dark brown eyes that looks bored and almost out of it.

But still those orbs seem as if it could look right into you and suck you into the darkness of her eyes that holds many secrets. Faustine or not, right now, I'm just a regular girl in a dark green dress looking at one of Funtom company's products. I look empty, bored, and absolutely uninterested. We walk towards the center of the downtown and into one of the small restaurants. The Italian bar spreads a bit of its cultural vibe and its sweet smell of pasta and soup.

Urice ordered Risotto with Peas, Caroline ordered a plate of Ravioli Alla Marinara, Rue ordered a normal cheese pizza, and I ordered some Agnolotti. _(Don't know if these are the right Italian foods or if they have them in the 1930s. Why did I pick an Italian restaurant in the first place? ^^;)_

"What time is it now?" Urice suddenly asked with a very disturbed expression.

"It's about 7:30p.m." Rue answered, "Why?"

"Oh nothing, I just have a curfew" Urice stands up, "Fausty do you mind walking me out?"

"Uh… sure," I answered, unsure of why or what she actually wants. I follow her out of the restaurant as she starts to wrap herself up with her coat and a scarf while I did the same.

"You're heading home too?" Urice asked.

"No, I haven't finished my food yet.

I'm just going to breathe some fresh air."

"…Oh…"

"Why, what with that disappointed expression?" I laughed and ruffle her hair, like how I would usually ruffle Lizzy's, sometimes. Urice seems a little confused at the hair ruffling.

Oh yeah, Faustine wouldn't do that to Urice, huh. I withdraw my hand. Urice sighed with a… sad… smile and I can see her white misty breath out in the dark plaza.

"Remember when we first met?" She asks with a brighter smile.

"Yeah… you transferred into our school and started to annoy me, you barged into my personal bubble space, and you always begged me to tell you the answer to the tests"

"Hey, hey. At least in return I always tell you the answers to all the math tests"

"I know," I finally give off a bigger smile. "You were so annoyingly stupid"

"And you, were such a cold blooded, two faced, and selfish brat" We stood there for a second and finally laughed even more. What a shock, Ciel Phantomhive finally smiled. This girl is just like Lizzy. "Anyways, I have to go now… and Faustine"

Her expression changes again, back to the one full of anxiety from before. "You better go home early. The earlier the better"

"…Why?" I asked, confused.

"It's just dangerous to be out too late since you're a lady yourself. Things could happen to you"

"Things could happen to me?" I scoffed.

"I'm serious," she said with a humorless face as I blinked at her, not expecting this sudden change of mood. "Just kidding!" Urice laughs and starts skipping off on to the roads and heading back to where we came from. I stared at her skipping back, noticing how her curls bounce along under her chin, how her pink dress flutters about, how her personality was bubbly.

All this pleasant sight of her doesn't suit that serious tone with an anxious, horror filled face just now. She wasn't kidding, she was serious. A distant sound caught my ears, a music that for some reason captured my full attention. Its tune isn't really appealing enough to sound good, it's just some random notes played by an accordion.

"_A tower grim; a glowering darkness,  
and only brown of red the other hue"_

A man sang around the corner. I quickly search around through the crowd and find what seem like a homeless man in a huge dirty coat that covers the rags from under. His hair is long and messy and his whole face was hidden in the shadow made by his droopy hat. He heads into a small narrow alleyway across the street as he plays his accordion.

For some reason, I feel the urge to chase him and find out who he is. I start to bolt across the street as the cars honked and swerve past me. I hear some shouts and cursings from behind but that doesn't matter. Not one bit as important as to what I am doing right now.

"– _I saw it in the distant eyes –  
And yes, He knew, but focused only  
on the mortal soul of mine;"_

I follow the song through old shacks, old bakery shops and into an even more inner part of the alley way. I turn around a dark corner, just to find a large purple tent with patterns of golden curves on the layers of sheets which look a lot like the fabrics from India. This reminds me of yet another loud obnoxious friend that seemed to like to flutter around me. He also seemed to love to invade my private space.

But then again, like Lizzy and the others, Prince Soma wouldn't be alive in this era. Funny, I somehow kind of miss him while staring at this suspicious purple tent. I open the flap of the tent and step into the darkness within which feels as if it's engulfing me. There's nothing much to see inside the tent, except for a small blue glow that illuminates from an orb on a rounded table.

"A fortune telling place?"

"Yeeees, this is indeed a nice dark place for fortune telling, no?"

A high pitched and somehow unsteady voice said from behind the globe that stirs an uneasy feeling into my stomach. Don't tell me… when I turn around, I'm going to find a fortune teller inside a dark cloak that covers most of her face with those long, dark, frizzy hair.

Just like what was usually in most of the cheesy fairy tales I've read. Yes, and that is exactly what I see when I look up from the orb. "Cooooome, come sit. I'll read your fortune for free since you're the 59th customer"

"What? You mean people actually come to this kind of place?"

"Ohohohoho, you better watch your mouth dear… the spirits can restless, girl"

"Wrong, I'm not a girl. I'm actually a boy,"

I smirked and sat on the wooden chair across from the fortune teller. "Seems like you have quite an interesting thing going on here…"

"Don't even start. You won't be able to guess what was known as the impossible"

"Oh I know exactly what I'm talking about. Yes, you're a boy right now but isn't it about time you release this girl, you vengeful spirit?"

"What? Vengeful spirit?"

"You're supposed to be dead a looong time ago"

"Hn, what do you know. This girl is me and I am her"

"Mmmm so it seeeeeeems, he, he.

In fact, this girl shouldn't even exist at all! Her soul that is, should've been looong gone. You were lucky and it's about time you stop playing with fire"

"Who? She's the one who's been playing with fire"

"Same, same… You both played with a demon…. He, he, but then again who's the real demon? The humans… or Satan himself?

This girl Faustine was so perfect. Perfect to the point where it disgusts people. You're porcelain doll look, your confidence, your talent in controlling and fooling those around you. A girl like you should just accept your fate and burn in hell…"

"That's enough!" I burst in outrage as I stood up from my chair and turn to walk out.

"_Damn the fate of His – it awes and blinds!  
But oh! The mighty hammer strikes a toll;"_

It's already night time and I should get back but the music from before plays once more as I once again see that man from before and start to chase him. A loud, faint explosion sounded a few blocks away.

In the distance, the central where the Italian restaurant was, is covered with smoke and a massive burning glow, like the day when my mansion was set on fire.

"Oh….no! Caroline and Rue are still there!"

"Yes and you were suppose to die with them," an old man's voice laughed. The same voice that sang that terrible song.

With his accordion, he starts to play, "we're all dead, you are dead, I am dead and yet you're still alive" He laughs as he begin to walk away, then continue singing his regular song.

"_A tower grim; a glowering darkness,  
and only brown of red the other hue  
– I saw it in the distant eyes –  
And yes, He knew, but focused only  
on the mortal soul of mine;  
After all, He had a role to play,  
and wine: my shivering blood to quaff!  
If only I could Him betray –  
To break the seal of destiny;  
Escape the lone cacophony  
that emanates from wailing minds!_

_Damn the fate of His – it awes and blinds!  
But oh! The mighty hammer strikes a toll;  
the slow approach of Him upon the knoll  
Commences exudation of a dying heart.  
Endorsing all, I honed my final part."_

_Mark R Slaughter

"Dietrich!" Another voice shouts from… above? A figure hops down in front of the man. I actually recognize this person.

Who could ever forget the girly voice of that she-man?

"You're supposed to help me with the souls after the explosion but you're back here singing?" he coughs, "all this smoke is going to ruin my beautiful complexion! Now I'll have to redo my facial masks!"

"You're Grell!" Grell turns around with his long red hair and stares at me, not recalling or not knowing why I even know his name.

"Heh, so you know Grell!" The man whose name, I presume is Dietrich, said while rubbing his chin.

"I don't know her"

"Hn, you might not have recognized me but I know you. I want you to do me a favor. Bring me to that fire in the central"

"No way! I'll ruin my clothes!"

"Just bring her there, she was supposed to die there anyway," Dietrich said.

"You can have Sebastian for a day"

"Sebastian? Who's that Grell, someone you know?"

"Seb- Sebby… you mean my Sebby?"

"Yes, your uh… Sebastian"

"SEBSTIAN! Oh yes!" He shrieks with excitement and picks me up then swings me over his shoulder.

"Huh? Hey don't swing me over your shoulder!"

"Sebastian here I come!"

At this moment, Sebastian hops and races above the roofs towards the light of explosion. He wondered wherever the Young Mistress could be. Indeed she has been pretty odd and awkward today. Then he finally stops on one of the roofs, feeling a sudden chill as if someone's been calling his name in a way that disgusts him.


	19. Chapter 20

"_Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense.__" _Mark Overby_

What used to be the caliginous, quiescent plaza is now engulfed by a mass of scarlet scorching flame. Sparks travel up into the illuminated night sky, and float, and then disperse into the air. The air, which is now overspread with the essence of burning wood and iron, pretty much everything is but a haze. The bell from an ancient clock tower rang, sounding just as alarmed as the wails of the horrified citizens, who are now running from three smaller explosions followed by the collapse of the overwhelmed buildings. With the whole plaza covered in dust, one could choke on both the smoke and the massive filth.

But the view from the top is but a gentle blush that spreads the warmth to the surface of the town. Grell hops from the dark shadows of the buildings, to even darker shadows of the random poles with great agility. I was slung over his wide shoulder, with both of my hands behind to hold my fluttering dress down, feeling as if I could drop at any second from the speed and a bit of an irritation, from his shoulder arching into my stomach. As we approach the chaotic wreck, Grell descends down towards the center and land next to a white marble fountain that are stained with ashes and dusts. After that, he loosens his arm and drops me on to my bottom.

"Ouch! Was it so hard to just let me down gently?" I said with an irritated growl.

"Hmph, it's hard enough to carry an extra loaf of package, especially if the person is none of my interest," Grell said nonchalantly, massaging his right arm that had been holding my feet in place. "I'm not even a least bit interested in a girl like you"

"Yes, and I'm grateful for that" I got up, wiping the dusts off my hands. By this time, the people from the plaza had long escaped and deserted the street which is now silent with the murmurs of the fluttering flames.

I search desperately around the plaza, looking for the unrecognizable sign of the Italian restaurant until my eyes catches a glimpse of a familiar wooden chalkboard that is tipped over to its side, naming the specials for today's Italian dinner. Behind the board is nothing but parts of the red brick ruin that are surrounded by the monstrous flames and the dust filled smoke with stale air.

"Oh… no," I whispered to myself in utter distress. The first things I thought of whilst witnessing this horrid scene are Rue and Caroline, which doesn't make sense at all. It wasn't me who is worrying for those two troublesome girls but Faustine. Really Faustine, why would you worry for such useless 'chess pieces', but then again, it can't be helped for her emotions are deeply engraved inside of me.

"Grell, I want you to find somebody for me!"

"Why should I, can't you see I was busy collecting souls with my fruitless partner? Plus, where is Sebas-"

"Young Mistress!" A voice, sounding panicked, called from behind me, followed by the sound of his fast footsteps.

"Sebastian!" Grell called out excitedly as his feet carries him towards Sebastian that is now behind me. "I have longed for your warmth, please embrace me properly! Eeeeeee!" As I turn around to face Sebastian, Grell was flung high into the air and disappeared into the far off distance.

"What did you do?" I asked, with not even the slightest interest in hearing the answer.

"Oh, nothing important but what were you doing here with a death god?"

"You mean Grell? I just happened to pass him on my way, but that is not what's important now"

"Young Mistress," Sebastian grabs on to my arm, "we have to leave here immediately. Those buildings can collapse at any second"

"I can't, I have to save Caroline and Rue!"

"We won't have time for that," Sebastian hastily picks me up by my waist, under his arm. Really, why doesn't anybody pick me up properly now a days, with Grell who threw me over his shoulder like a sand bag and Sebastian who carries me under his arm like I'm some sort of a pet. Aren't I currently a lady?

"Wait, let go Sebastian!" I struggle under his arm, but only to have them tightened more around my waist as he dashes away from the sight, dodging pieces of crumbled buildings. Then he crawls through a wide opened window of an old apartment building on the fourth floor.

"Put me down Sebastian! Are you disobeying my orders? Now!"

I struggled and finally release myself from his arm and land on to my feet.

"My, my Young Mistress, you're hair is a total mess" Sebastian steps forward and reaches out a hand to fix my tangled hair.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped and fiercely slap his hand away as Sebastian stares at me with a disappointed smile and withdraws his aching palm. That Sebastian and his smile, that Sebastian and his mocking grin. Damn demons, damn those demons!

"Sebastian, you're going to look for Rue and Caroline," I ordered harshly.

"Oh? Since when do you care whether they live or die?" Sebastian questioned, feigning the curiosity in his voice. "Aren't they all just the same? It was either if they are useful or just worthless defective 'pieces"

"Hn, what are you talking about? I've always cared"

"No, no… I'm talking about you, not Faustine"

With that I fell silent for a few brief moments, thinking about what I should say now that he had actually confirmed that his Young Mistress wasn't exactly me at all.

"I wouldn't care," I say, "but as Faustine I would care for their lives, since they were one of her first friends. Unlike me, Faustine at least have a normal social life. Can't you at least let her keep that? Unlike me, who had been completely stripped off innocence and emotions by none other than you as a demon?"

"Friends?" Sebastian said with a tone that sounds almost like a scoff.

"It's such a pity. I used to have wonderful memories and deep admirations of your soul after you avenged your pride. But it seems that Faustine's emotions had somewhat taken an effect on you"

"Enough! Sebastian, go find the remains of Caroline and Rue. This is my 'absolute' order!"

With that, Sebastian steps back with his face showing distaste and silently hop out the window and towards the direction of the Plaza once again, followed by two more large explosions that engulf his form. I stare out the window, at nothing in particular, even though the sky emits a frightening glow from the smokes and flames, showing the sign of death to that specific central area. The sirens had stopped, the fire truck must've arrived but they are so late. They were too late. In fact, many had already died from the fire aside from the ones that died in the explosion. Since when did I care?

Was Ciel Phantomhive always worried about others?

"Since when… did I start to care?"

The first morning light came through that very window, as the shadows formed and the lights crawled and slithered itself up to the farthest edges of the once dark, moist room, and make its way up to the back walls. I managed to fell asleep as I waited for Sebastian, from minutes to hours, remembering that look of distaste he had, before he left. When I woke up to the cold early morning in London, I couldn't help but wonder if Sebastian had deserted me, since I did made him upset. Just remembering the time of being abandoned makes me sick to my stomach. Whenever I saw his back as he turns, I was reminded once again of the day where he had abandoned me.

Now that I think about it, all those hate that I've felt for all those years were just an excuse to cover for my feelings of hurt. Yes, when he had left me…. I felt…

"_Hurt?"_

"W-who?!" I quickly turn from my window to search for whoever just answered. But there really is no one else inside this apartment, just me. "Ha... Ha, ha. Am I going crazy?"

"_Do you really think that you're the only one who can have control of this body? I mean, it IS my body to begin with. I was just giving you time to have some fun and confess your feeling's of hurt to Sebastian. Now wouldn't that be amusing?"_

"What, it's only you Faustine. It's pretty rare that we get to speak to each other in person"

"_It is quite intriguing, watching you face Sebastian without a slightest bit of clue of your own feelings. You thought you hated Sebastian"_

"I did hate Sebastian, and I still do. But what difference does it make? He is your butler now. It seems you haven't been training your 'dog' well enough, for I got to see him showing a demonstration of disobedience yesterday"

_Faustine laughs. "I'll let you have three more hours in this body…"_

The door creaks from the back as it opens and Sebastian walks in with his usual confident steps.

"You were long"

"My apologies, Young Mistress, but it was quite hard gathering the ashes of two dead bodies all in one night." Sebastian takes out two brown sacks of ashes and waves it in the air so that I can see it. "But I did do some bit of investigation about the bombing incident"

I reach out both of my hands as Sebastian drops the sacks into them. I examine the sacks as I walk slowly towards the window and empty them out into the street below. The ashes fly and dance along with the wind, then quickly mix it selves into the other forms of dusts in the air. Well, at least I got to confirm that they are dead.

"It took me the whole night to gather all their ashes since I had a bit difficulty of telling them apart from regular dusts… but," Sebastian laughs with his low dark tone that sounds, instead, like his sigh of anger, "aren't they all the same?

After all, your friends are now just merely parts of the unnoticeable specks of this street you're now facing"

"What's with this tone you're now using, to your master like this…?" I start, clearly letting him know that I've had just about enough of his tones and attitudes these past few days.

"It's nothing really. No… it's just that after all the excessive work from yesterday, it all seems to be for naught"

"Why, is it because I dumped it out the window?" I turned, "I just wanted to know whether they are even alive or not. Oh, and you did say that you've done some investigation at the scene"

Yes," Sebastian steps forward, "yes, I did. It's… quite interesting"

"Sebastian, do you know that you have a tendency to bend every news you're about to say?"

"Oh my, is it that noticeable? I'll say it straight then, if young mistress wants me to. What I was about to say was that the locations of the bombs were placed literally right around the building of the Italian restaurant you went to. The first bomb that blew up was placed under the farthest table at the back… on the right seat. I remember how the reporters assumed that the incident was plotted by the enemy country of war. But…"

"More like… it was targeting somebody," I whispered, more to me, as a sick feeling starts to crawl up in my stomach. A sick and disgusting feeling… that hurts. "The first bomb was placed at the farthest table, under the right seat. Yesterday we sat at the farthest table… and I sat at the left seat"

"Oho? So it was targeting you, could it possibly be Lanmia?" Sebastian's eyes flashed bright red for a second and I lean against the wall behind me. Something smells. Something's odd and funny. "But if they really are targeting you, how do they know where you'll sit?"

Sebastian's eyes glower down at mine as he smiles in amusement, "how do they even know that you were going the Italian restaurant?" I stare down blankly at the floor, still feeling sick. "Young mistress," Sebastian continues, "is there anyone around you who have been acting strange lately?"

Was there… anyone who was acting strange? …No, not really, not that I recall. But then there was that sick feeling again in my stomach as if something's eating away my insides, my heart and my liver. I couldn't face that sick feelings or rather I'm too scared to find out the truth. I already knew the truth, the unbearable truth, but if I were to face the feelings that I have, I'm afraid it would turn out to be an extreme aggravating pain.

I ponder at this thought over and over again as I sat inside my old, rectangular office that is covered with dust, in the west wing of the manor. My uncle had been out on yet another business trip and my aunt had been busy heading in and out of the manor for reasons unknown. As for my cousins, they've been busy flaking off with some of their friends at their school. So I sat alone in this manor at the west wing, relieved that I don't have to answer any questions about the reason for my absence last night at dinner.

A small knock was heard from the wooden double doors in the front follow by a small quiet creak as Sebastian opens the left door, carrying a small rounded silver tray of tea.

"It's as I thought, you're actually at the west wing" I turn around from the large window, which is partially covered by the torn red curtains, inside the old office chair and watches as Sebastian steps inside.

"How did you know that I'm in the west wing?" I asked.

Sebastian puts his tray down on the wooden office table and starts to pour the tea into a cup for me to drink. Then he carefully puts the filled porcelain cup between my arms which rest on the office table.

"As your butler," he says as he reaches forward to brush a bit of dust off my hair, "I am to know your patterns in every move" My heart starts to flutter as I feel my cheeks burn at the very spot he accidentally brushed.

"Your temperature" His hand travels down to my bangs and softly pushes them to a side.

"Sebastian…" I said, with a sense of warning in my tone as I look up at his odd expression with his bright red eyes that were arched from his cheery smile of insanity.

"Your very presence," he continues, paying no attention to my threat as his gloved hand continues to travel down and coup my burning cheeks.

"Sebastian…" I whispered with a bit of a shaky voice from his grim expression. He looks… hungry.

"The darkness of your corrupt soul," he starts to whisper in a lower tone as his other hand reaches to coup the other side of my cheek. Then he lowers his beautiful face to my eye level. I quickly grab onto his gloved fingers, wanting desperately, to peel them off from my aching cheek bones when his gentle hands became hard and rough.

"St- stop it!"

"Your sorrow… the bottom depth of 'your' hell" _S-scary! I'm scared!_

"Enough! Get your hands off me!" I screamed and snapped him out of his trance. Then I manage to slap his hands away, spilling a bit of tea from the cup in the middle.

Sebastian withdraws his hands, his psychotic smile replaced by a shock expression as if he has no idea why he did what he just did.

"N-never," I stutter, "Never in my past years have I seen you like this!" Sebastian stood for a moment then as always, his usual smile returns.

"In your previous years?" He laughs, "What are you talking about"

"I'm not in the mood to joke Sebastian. You knew that I'm not Faustine"

"Hm, yes indeed your personalities were similar but then again you both differ in the smallest things. Because of that, you had me confused for a moment" I lean back on to my leather chair and glare at him, finally revealing all the deep hatred and disgust that I've felt inside.

"So," I start, giving him a sinister look, "aren't you going to devour me? You must be hungry, for not consuming any souls these past few years. But then again, you were the one who neglected your meal" I pause for second and start to chuckle, "what now? Do you want me to cut myself and let you have some taste? Demons or not, they'd still reap what they sow"

"Ho? Isn't young mistress… or should I say, young master, an example of a pot calling a kettle black? It seems you still don't realize that you and Faustine are both the same person with the same soul. You just share different minds. Isn't it about time you give young mistress back her body?"

**Give?** You want me to give young mistress back her body and back to you? That leech is so full of himself. Huh, what's this? Me… Ciel Phantomhive, jealous of Faustine?

"Hmph" I stood up in anger from my leather chair and flip the tea off from a side of the wooden table.

Sebastian watches as the cup falls and breaks into pieces, spilling the tea on the floor and staining the red carpet.

"What are you standing there for Sebastian?" I asked eyeing from him to the cup which Sebastian immediately comprehends as he walks over to my side and crouches down to pick up the broken pieces of porcelain. I continue to glare at his lowered head and quickly reach both of my hands down just under the demon's chin and start to strangle his pale neck. Sebastian stares up at my blank face with an utterly shocked expression.

It was funny how Faustine and I are jealous of each other. We both wish that we were each other. But unlike that useless girl, I'd actually do something about my anger and jealousy, under handed or not. "Damn you," I whispered, "damn you demons! You've all make a fool out of me!

You might be immortal but you'd still feel the same pain as humans don't you? Whether if you're stabbed, shot, or strangled like you are now; so, I'll make you feel as if I'm strangling your guts out as a your punishment for you insolence from earlier"

"Pfft….ku, hu, hu, hu…" Sebastian half laughed and choked with the pieces of porcelain already crushed in his hands from the earlier shock.

He grabs on to my arm with his bloody hands, leaving trails of his blood on my skin. I begin to feel hazy as my consciousness starts to slip.

"Looks like your time is up, young master," Sebastian chuckles.

As always… the demon never falters.


	20. Chapter 21

"_It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways_."

The darkness above is a horror filled abyss full of twisted, dark, and corrupted faces smiling down upon me. There are the faces of my aunt, uncle, my cousins, and many others who tortured me. Surprisingly, Urice's face was up there smiling her smile full of warmth and the essence of a glow. Oh Urice, the last face I wanted to see right now. Why is her face within those corrupted smiles and smirks?

Why is her soft genuine smile full of warmth and yet pity, for what, me? Somehow, I loathe this image of all the fakeness and all the pitying which is what I would always see within darkness. That's why, I hate the darkness. It's too dark in here."It's too dark in here…" I nearly whispered, as I reach a hand up towards the darkness to grab a hold of anything.

"It's too dark," I cried, "why… why is so dark? Sebastian… Sebastian!" A soft fabric grabs a hold of my shaking hand and pulls me up, follow by a soft soothing voice that I knew all too well.

"Mistress! Young Mistress you're back"

I hold on to him as I burry my face into his chest. My whole body rapidly shakes in fear. "It's alright now, I'm here, I'm here" When my shaking stopped and the coughs and chokes quieted down, Sebastian hands me a cup of warm steam milk. I slap the cup away in fury.

The cup falls, spilling the milk on to my rug.

"You… you shouldn't have turned off the lights"

"Well, I never knew that our Young Mistress would be the type to be afraid of the dark"

"I'm not really… I don't know"

"You were also the one who had specifically ordered me to turn off the lights… when you were Ciel. I was simply obeying the words that came out of my master's mouth"

I finally sighed and calm myself down. "A letter arrived for you this morning"

"From school?"

"No… but it's important," I glance back at Sebastian and his knowing smile.

"Read it," I said, as he starts to open the letter.

"_Throughout the investigation, I had found that the secret to the Lanmia society was once investigated by an organization of the police council in 1927, the same year as the opening of the genetic hospital._

_But unfortunately the process was terminated in 1929 and all the information was locked away in the P.O.C Headquarters. I would need to find some excuse to get in to the volt…"_

We can't wait that long… We can't… I thought for a second. "Sebastian…"

"Yes Young Mistress?"

"Do you know which hospital Gaspard's in?"

"Yes, he is currently in the Granlock Health-"

"Escort him here"

"What?"

"I'm going to hire a new servant"

"… Excuse me?!"

"Don't step out of this manor," Sebastian said, as he puts on his black trench coat and hat.

"It makes no difference," I say, "the manor is still as dangerous as the outside"

"But there isn't much to be aware of today, except for the poison tea you'll be drinking today"

"Isn't that a little far"

"Hmm… It is, isn't it" Sebastian walks out the door and steps into the carriage, not that he ever needs one. But I've already told him to be as humane as possible.

After he is gone, I waited for four hours until it is 10:00 a.m. Then I also put on my grey coat and hat, so that I wouldn't be noticed, then head out the door as well and towards the direction of my school. The usually loud wooden building is now quiet and dead silent which is to be expected. As I walk into the school yard, the students were gathered along with the teachers in their mourning group for the two students who died a few days ago in the explosion.

I tried to look for Urice and her bright bouncy hair but she wasn't there which was unusual for the Urice who deeply cared for every one of her friends. Even if she feels sad, she would come to school to pay her respects. Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?

A sudden memory flashed across my mind as I thought about Urice. When she left the restaurant, she looked panicked and scared. She told me… or had warned me to get home early. In fact, she had told me to be careful several times. I shook my thought away and quickly rushed back home.

The living room was partially dark when I came in, which made me feel uneasy. I assume that my cousins were out and so is my uncle, for some kind of a meeting. I step forward and suddenly trip over a soft fabric at the bottom. I glance down and see my aunt's red silk cape.

Why is on the ground?

And where are the servants? She must've told all of them to go home. I turn and see that the dining room is also dark for the curtains were shut tight, not letting in any sun lights. The chef also went home?

I climb up the stairs, not bothering to take off my coat. I reach the door to my aunt's bedroom and slightly push the door open as it goes with a loud creak. Her room is still as dark as the other rooms. In her chair she sat, along with a glass of red wine in her hand. The dark yellow bottle was nearly emptied on the floor.

She crosses her legs and stares off at the ceilings. She must be drunk again.

"Oh Faustine, did anyone ever taught you that knocking is a common courtesy?"

"Well not really since… I don't have anyone here who could teach me…" My aunt scrunches her eyebrows as if she had received another blow to her head.

"You… you aren't dead yet?"

"No," I quietly replied.

My aunt then finally laughs, "You're- pff… you're supposed to be dead"

"Dear aunt," how stupid can she be, "if I were to die, you wouldn't know of the whereabouts of father's fortune"

"You mean… your 'step' father"

"… Your 'brother's' massive fortune" My aunt stood up balancing between her wobbly feet as she nonchalantly tosses her glass of wine to the side which got save by the soft chair she had been sitting on. The glass lies dead on the seat as the bright red liquid spreads.

"That's … (burp) the thing sweet heart. I don't (burp) care for his fortunes… All I want is a little revenge…" She walks her wobbly feet towards my direction as she whispers, "all that I want… was to kill that vixen's daughter, for she stole my love"

"Your love… as in… your brother?"

"That's right, shocking isn't it? That there really are such things as incest" She points dramatically at her shoulder as she continues, her voice wavering, "all… all that I want is to live a normal life. But your mother… oooh that vixen, she kept stealing and stealing every men and everything from me.

Even your real father… everything. And now you're here and she's back! She's back to steal again"

"It can't be helped, he 'is' a womanizer. Your brother had told me that she had… slept… with him on a whim to get your brother's attention"

She smiles in a psychotic way, "and do you know why she felt insecure about her husband?" She slowly leans towards my ear as she whispers, "Because she saw him 'fucking' me in her own bedroom!"

"Wha… ah" Something's squeezing my throat… she's strangling me. How dare she catch me off guard?

I try to pull her hands away and even sinking my fingernails into her skin, but it's as if she had turned into a psychotic beast. I am forced on to my back, on the ground, as she sits on my stomach straddling me with her thighs.

"Your mother…"

"Let go… of me!"

"your mother saw that scene… she went to sleep with your real father who was my boyfriend at that time, not only to get my brother's attention but also to get me!" I kept on trying to pry her hands open until she finally stops squeezing. My eyes were closed when I felt two drops of water landing on my cheek. I open them just to see her painful look. Her voice weakens, "all I want… was to live peacefully with my family without a trace of her near me"

Shocked by her sudden gentleness, I don't know what to say except to ask for the obvious, "So… do you want me to leave or do you want to kill me yourself?"

"Oh Faustine, I just… I just don't know how-"

A loud bang was heard with some splattered blood which soaked my coat… and that was the end of my aunt.

_Catherine Dolorie, Age: 38, Date: December 20__th__, 1939; 4:30 p.m._


	21. Chapter 22

"_Have you ever loved someone who was so beautiful and pure, you couldn't bear to show them your own darkness?__"_

Crawling through an air vent with Gaspard while the guards are pursuing after us, surely isn't my way of spending my afternoon. Usually it'd include vanilla cookies and coffee from Vienna, not crawling through an air vent with just the three of my limbs, since one of my arms is holding the investigated files of Lanmia that I just stole from the locked volt behind the city hall and the police station. Yes, the volt was locked but with both of our genetic genes that gave us certain abilities, we were able to get inside easily. Gaspard's genes were fused with that of a poisonous snake, so he is able to spread venoms and… slither through narrow spaces… such as this air vent.

"Gaspard take my file and go slither or whatever out of here," said I. As he caught the file that I slid him, he huffs in annoyance.

"I don't slither and wasn't I hired by you to do something like dusting some highly expensive vase instead of injecting my uh… venoms into security guards?"

"It doesn't matter!" I growled as we continue with our crawling.

"Isn't your butler more capable of these things than me?"

"The butler is busy"

Gaspard laughs, "With what, hiding Catherine's body?"  
"And cleaning up her blood"

"I can't believe your uncle killed your aunt" That's right, the bullet that caused my aunt's death was surprisingly shot by my uncle Elenezer.

Underneath Catherine's bloody corps, I saw his brown leather shoes that walked to my side. After that, he dropped Rosery on to the ground next to me and left. I had a feeling that he was probably going somewhere far way and never coming back.

"What are you doing?! Now go!" I shouted behind Gaspard.

"Yes my laaady," Gaspard answered, mimicking Sebastian as he quickly 'slithers' away.

I continue on slowly after, when a giant massive breeze blows from behind me. "Eeek," I yelped as soon as I got the feeling of warm air beneath my purple lace dress. It's a good thing that I'm wearing thick stockings today. When I finally got out of that boiling hot air vent, I bump into Gaspard who stood outside like some random annoying thing that blocks my way out, which stirs up my irritation.

"Oy, move!" I push him to a side and step out, holding onto my dress.

"Faustine!" Gaspard shouts in a panicked tone.

"Huh… we're surrounded"

"What should we do? Good thing they only have their swords. Do you think we could…?" Gaspard nudges my arm.

I eyed his golden eyes filled with excitement.

"You do it. Keep them from coming after me"

"All right then!" Gaspard charges at the crowd of guards.

"Hey, remember not to kill them!" I quickly run towards the downtown as Gaspard tosses me the file followed by a bunch of other guards.

"Gaspard!" Well, I guess he couldn't hear anyone when he is having fun. A huge hand grabs onto my arm and pulls me back forcefully.

"Heh I got you now, girl!" His huge bear like hand squeezes my arm hard, making me wince in pain. I quickly turn and grab onto his face with my free hand, as a sizzling sound comes from under and a rotting smell.

I stare in horror as the man screamed at the top of his lungs. His face starts to rot to the point where you can't even recognize its features. I push him away as soon as he lets me go and make my way over the bridge and into a familiar alley way. It's weird though… my left hand feels like it is burning. It has been burning a lot lately and the skin on my left hand had been shedding and peeling itself off. This especially gets worse whenever I rot something.

It feels as if I am rotting myself. I finally stop at the front of this familiar shop with a coffin in front of it. I push open the front door and step inside. "Undertaker," I called, "are you there?" I look around this usually cluttered room, almost stumbling over piles of paper. I winced again as I brought my hand up to inspect it.

My left hand is all bloody from the rotted man from before. Only, some of the dripping blood belongs to the cuts in my palm where the skin had started to peel.

"Ehehehehehehehe… is this the sound of blood dripping I hear?"

"I guess I'll need some bandages," I said, holding my hand up for the Undertaker to see, if he can even see through his massive bangs.

"Heh… it doesn't look like you are dying here.

Usually people would go to the hospitals when they're injured…" He sorts through his drawer and tosses me a roll of bandages.

"Why are they peeling…?" I said to myself.

"You know… when you caused somebody misfortune… you'd get the same value of exchange in the long run" I rip the ends of the bandages off, while actually listening to his usual nonsense. "Same with condemning someone to hell, two graves are dug and one to receive you in the long term. Those who kill the demons will become demons themselves"

I grip my bandaged hand, "so I've actually been rotting myself?"

The Undertaker leans over his desk with a widened smile, "this file ehehe looks interesting… aren't you going to look at it?"

"Hm? Oh this…" I put the file on his counter next to him, "it's about an organization called Lanmia. Speaking of which, many people must've died from the fire in the lab"

"Hm… I haven't received any burnt corps on the day of the explosion"

"Then, they must be hiding their bodies…" _Bzzz…_

"Ah~ my radio is working again" The Undertaker starts to turn the wheels and buttons. _Bzzz…of the German army. It seems they have pushed the British back toward the bzzz…_

"Heh~ it seems I'll be very busy by the time the Germans arrive"

"You mean your job as the undertaker"

"Not necessarily. I would be doing more than that eh hm hm… the lost souls…"

I start to open the yellow file of data, "The Germans won't make it. The British force will push them back. I am sure of it"

"Kuku… I'm not so sure about that…" All the useless pages of data contain mostly of the information that I already knew. Feeling irritated all over again, I skip over the rest of the data and scan through the last one. "Kehehehe… how about this?" Through his droopy sleeves, his fingers hold up a dark yellow and crumbled paper. I take it and read it, sliding it on the counter.

"The… Moore Hospital, they're suspecting that the genetic hospital is part of the Lanmia Society?"

"But it makes sense doesn't it?" The information should be wrong. Failure can happen during the investigations and this could be why the investigation group disbanded. Again, this stalls a sick feeling in my stomach.

It hurts and it feels as if somebody is squeezing my heart. I went home and sat in the office at the West Wing, thinking… thinking back at the voices and thoughts that had crossed my mind. Urice Moore's family opened a new genetic hospital and worked for the military. I got to know Urice because her father was a friend of my step-father. Sebastian had said that the bomb, on the day when we ate in the Italian restaurant, was placed under Urice's seat.

Urice had left early, looking panicked stricken. After the funeral in school, I never saw Urice again. Urice Moore… was my best friend. I told her almost everything. She knew what happened to me and how my genes are fused with Lanmia, a dark crimson spider lily. But I've never told her that Lanmia is a flower, and yet she knew.

There was a soft knock on the door and I immediately knew who it is.

"Sebastian," I called out.

"Ho? You sure seem depressed," said he, as he hands me a chocolate mousse with hazelnut coffee. "So, did you find anything worth looking into?" I open my mouth and hesitated, then I decided to stuff it with chocolate mousse instead.

Sebastian raises an eyebrow. "Surely, you're not hiding something are you?" I put my fork down and sighed, running my hands through my hair. Urice loves to laugh and sing. Such a pure girl like her wouldn't have bombed the whole downtown. Urice loves pink.

She'd rather have her blonde curls in a short bob. Urice was the only one I could talk to… Urice, Urice, Urice… I couldn't say anymore… everyone betrays me, even Urice, even Sebastian even, even my mother. I was the one, who is naïve. My images of them had been shattered.

"No more…" I whispered.

"Young… Mistress…" I hide my face with the both of my hands as a bunch of mixed emotions run through my mind. I thought it's amazing how much I could find within these days. I don't think I can keep looking into this anymore. I have a feeling that if I look into it any farther, I would eventually lose myself and my heart would hurt greatly to the point where it bleeds.

I couldn't cry even though I want to, so instead of sobbing, I start to chuckle. Sebastian stood in front of the desk frozen as I laugh which sound more like sobs.

"Sebastian… I don't think I can do this anymore"

"…. Excuse me?" Sebastian's voice sounds low and cautious.

"I give up," I admitted.

"…Give up, you say…"

"I don't … want revenge anymore" I stare downward at the coffee in front of me, waiting for an oncoming fit of rage I sense from Sebastian. I hear the sounds of Sebastian shifting from one foot to another in front of me. As nervous as I am, I couldn't look up because I am afraid of seeing his expression full of distaste along with his crimson eyes.

The room is strangely silent as soon as I finished saying what I wanted to say. Sebastian quietly puts his silver tray down on to the desk, and walks out of Ciel's office.

I listen, as the sound of his footsteps gradually get faint and then silence once again.


	22. Chapter 23

"_she hears her victims cry_

_Till today still every night_

_And as she closes her eyes she sees the most horid sight_

_As the day passes the night comes nearer_

_And her veins become clearer_

_She will soon return to where she came from_

_Oh what an omen she has upon her_

_A death awaiting omen she has_

_Her eyes change color_

_From black to gray to brown and back to black_

_Soon she will be gone from earth and return_

_Return to where she came from_

_A long long way from here"_

Two years have passed ever since Sebastian disappeared, which signaled the start of Dolorie's downfall. After he had left, I decided to forget about this whole thing involving demons and this whole plan of revenge. After a while, I realized, 'what is the point?' What am I trying to prove with this revenge?

I just don't care anymore… because I'm sick and tired. The memories of torture in the lab of Lanmia can remain, for I am tired of fighting the constant nightmares I've been having. The sight of my left hand gets even more gruesome as weeks pass by. Like my heart, like the insides of my soul, it's rotting and disorientating so much that I'd have to wear a glove to cover up its ugliness.

With Catherine dead and the disappearance of Elenezer, the company fell apart and went bankrupt. Inside this large, cold, and eerie manor, only four people remain: Alice, Margaret, Gaspard, and me. Other servants have gone searching for a better job. We are not the three wealthy mistresses anymore.

To this day, we wore less expensive clothes like those commoners and most people who sat in the streets. Gaspard is our only servant who can only wear a normal blouse. We've sold most of our furniture to pay off the debts Elenezer owed. Like a soulless corps, I wandered through these two years of my life feeling as empty as can be.

I couldn't understand this emptiness I've felt ever since Sebastian left. I spent time trying to convince myself that he is nothing but a heartless hungry demon. After I read the file, I've been ignoring the truth and the reality that was clearly right before my eyes. Sebastian had been so disgusted with me and… it made me sad.

Then, somewhere in the year of 1940, a bunch of small airplanes in the distance soared over the London sky and leaked small, tiny, black dots down into a bunch of crowded buildings, followed with massive explosions. I was reading in our emptied library with the remaining books that we have left, when I heard loud explosions at the far distance. I jumped and looked out the window at the bright red sky as sparks rose from the clusters of buildings.

Like those annoying parasitic insects, the German planes dropped multiple bombs into parts of downtown and the central, eating and nibbling away parts of buildings and parts of London. I couldn't help but wonder if the others were alright. Margaret now works at a bakery shop; Gaspard went shopping for food; and Alice remained in school. Every day, they all have the same routine while I stayed indoors as the youngest sister with barely enough money to continue with education.

Constant random bombings continue throughout the days as I wait, as usual, nervously for the other to come back safely. Yesterday, we decided to move from London and into the country side to avoid the bombings which might increase by the next week. The only one, who was hesitant, was me. It would be great to just get away for a while from this place full of memories.

But something is holding me back and I refused to think more of it. The door bell echoes throughout the manor. It must be one of those debt collectors. I bolt downstairs to answer the door, resulting in my regret of opening the doors ever so quickly to receive some shocking news.

After that, I am to wait until Margaret and Gaspard come back to tell them… that Alice died. There is no hope in viewing Alice's corps since it probably got turned into dust and ash from one of the bombs that the planes had dropped. After hearing the unfortunate news, Margaret had made a final decision to leave today at sunset in order to actually 'survive.' After that, we packed the whole day away without resting and with Gaspard's help.

Margaret couldn't stop her tears from over flowing either. Throughout the past years, I've eaten less and I talk less. Like a spirit, I followed Margaret's orders as the eldest out of all of us. When dawn came, we are ready to leave.

"Gaspard, did you get my coat?" Margaret asks. Gaspard rushes over to Margaret with her long, brown fur coat. Margaret puts the coat over her long dark green dress. Margaret, who is now twenty, has her hair down in golden waves.

Gaspard is now eighteen with his silver hair tied back in a small ponytail and his body has matured miraculously to that of a tall, full grown man. Gaspard turns to hand me my grey wool coat. He smiles, "you still miss him, huh"

I snatch the coat from Gaspard's hands, "I'm not in the mood for nonsense"

"The car is already outside and I've already packed all the foods"

"Good," Margaret answered, "now, let us leave this place" I start to button my coat over my black dress and put on my black wool hat, covering my dark brown hair that is now a short bob. Margaret goes ahead, followed by Gaspard.

I follow behind them, up to the front step of our door. Margaret turns, "Faustine? Come on!" I stopped in my step before I could realize my impulse.

Gaspard smirks, "something's holding her back"

"Faustine, what has gotten into you? We have to go!"

"… I … I'm sorry Margaret," I start as Margaret blinks in confusion. "I couldn't go after all"

"Faustine," Margaret shakes her head as her voice weakens, "I'm sorry for how I've treated you before, okay? I was immature!"

I smile a little, "you were"

"And I was cruel to you"

"I know"

"So come with me, please…"

I walk up over to Margaret, "I'm already over all that. I just … have something I need to finish.

I have something I need to confirm and... I have somebody who I want to see again"

Margaret frowns and forcefully pushes me back, making me stumble.

"Fine… I don't even need someone as useless as you who slacks off for the whole day"

Margaret turns and runs towards the car, pulling her hat low.

"Go ahead," Gaspard sighs, "I'll take care of Margaret"

"Alright," I also frown as Gaspard flicks me in my forehead. "Ouch!"

"Promise to tell us when you die?"

Of course, Gaspard would say something like this on the day we part with a bright pleasant smile and his golden eyes beaming as light as the sunset behind him that makes you want to turn away from the brightness. Gaspard have certainly helped me a lot while Sebastian was gone and I truly felt thankful for that.

"Gaspard," I start, "why do you help me so much?" Gaspard cocks his head with a smile as he pats my head.

"I dunno, maybe it's because of how I can't seem to leave you alone with your depressed self"

"So does that mean… you're my friend?" Gaspard turn towards the car.

"What a dumb question.

Of course we're friends" With that, he continues on towards the car where Margaret waits, and never turning back.


	23. Chapter 24

**The Full Moon Slightly Chipped**

My howl in the dawn

To the isolated star

I dare to forgive you

Everything seems too far

But care for me tenderly

How on earth can I get to the strawberry field?

Two years have passed ever since Sebastian disappeared, which signaled the start of Dolorie's downfall. After he had left, I decided to forget about this whole thing involving demons and this whole plan of revenge. After a while, I realized, 'what is the point?' What am I trying to prove with this revenge? I just don't care anymore… because I'm sick and tired. The memories of torture in the lab of Lanmia can remain, for I am tired of fighting the constant nightmares I've been having. The sight of my left hand gets even more gruesome as weeks passes by. Like my heart, like the insides of my soul, it's rotting and disorientating so much that I'd have to wear a glove to cover up its ugliness.

With Catherine dead and the disappearance of Elenezer, the company fell apart and went bankrupt. Inside this large, cold, and eerie manor, only four people remain: Alice, Margaret, Gaspard, and I. The other servants have gone searching for a better job. We are not the three wealthy mistresses anymore. To this day, we wore less expensive clothes like those commoners and most people who sat in the streets. Gaspard is our only servant who can only wear a normal blouse. We've sold most of our furniture to pay off the debts Elenezer owed.

Like a soulless corps, I wandered through these two years of my life feeling as empty as can be. I couldn't understand this emptiness I've felt ever since Sebastian left. I spent time trying to convince myself that he is nothing but a heartless hungry demon. After I read the file, I've been ignoring the truth and the reality that was clearly right before my eyes. Sebastian had been so disgusted with me and… it made me sad.

Then, somewhere in the year of 1940, a bunch of small airplanes in the distance soared over the London sky and leaked small, tiny, black dots down into a bunch of crowded buildings, followed with massive explosions. I was reading in our emptied library with the remaining books that we have left, when I heard loud explosions at the far distance. I jumped and looked out the window at the bright red sky as sparks rose from the clusters of buildings.

Like those annoying parasitic insects, the German planes dropped multiple bombs into parts of downtown and the central, eating and nibbling away parts of buildings and parts of London. I couldn't help but wonder if the others were alright. Margaret now works at a bakery shop; Gaspard went shopping for food; and Alice remained in school. Every day, they all have the same routine while I stayed indoors as the youngest sister with barely enough money to continue with education.

Constant random bombings continue throughout the days as I wait, as usual nervously for the other to come back safely. Yesterday, we decided to move from London and into the country side to avoid the bombings which might increase by the next week. The only one, who was hesitant, was me. It would be great to just get away for a while from this place full of memories. But something is holding me back and I refused to think more of it.

The door bell echoes throughout the manor. It must be one of those debt collectors. I bolt downstairs to answer the door, resulting in my regret of opening the doors ever so quickly to receive some shocking news. After that, I am to wait until Margaret and Gaspard comes back to tell them… that Alice died.

There is no hope in viewing Alice's corps since it probably got turned into dust and ash from one of the bombs that the planes had dropped. After hearing the unfortunate news, Margaret had made a final decision to leave today at sunset in order to actually 'survive.' After that, we packed the whole day away without resting and with Gaspard's help. Margaret couldn't stop her tears from over flowing either. Throughout the past years, I've eaten less and I talk less. Like a spirit, I followed Margaret's orders as the eldest out of all of us.

'When dawn came, we are ready to leave. "Gaspard, did you get my coat?" Margaret asks. Gaspard rushes over to Margaret with her long, brown fur coat.

Margaret puts the coat over her long dark green dress. Margaret, who is now twenty, has her hair down in golden waves. Gaspard is now eighteen with his silver hair tied back in a small ponytail and his body that had matured miraculously to that of a tall, full grown man.

Gaspard turns to hand me my grey wool coat. He smiles, "you still miss him, huh"

I snatch the coat from Gaspard's hands, "I'm not in the mood for nonsense"

"The car is already outside and I've already packed all the foods"

"Good," Margaret answered, "now, let us leave this place"

I start to button my coat over my black dress and put on my black wool hat, covering my dark brown hair that is now a short bob. Margaret goes ahead, followed by Gaspard. I follow behind them, up to the front step of our door.

Margaret turns, "Faustine? Come on!" I stopped in my step before I could realize my impulse.

Gaspard smirks, "something's holding her back"

"Faustine, what has gotten into you? We have to go!"

"… I … I'm sorry Margaret," I start as Margaret blinks in confusion. "I couldn't go after all"

"Faustine," Margaret shakes her head as her voice weakens, "I'm sorry for how I've treated you before, okay? I was immature!"

I smile a little, "you were"

"And I was cruel to you"

"I know"

"So come with me, please…"

I walk up over to Margaret, "I'm already over all that. I just … have something I need to finish. I have something I need to confirm and... I have somebody who I want to see again"

Margaret frowns and forcefully pushes me back, making me stumble.

"Fine… I don't even need someone as useless as you who slack off for the whole day" Margaret turns and runs towards the car, pulling her hat low.

"Go ahead," Gaspard sighs, "I'll take care of Margaret"

"Alright," I also frown as Gaspard flicks me in my forehead. "Ouch!"

"Promise to tell us when you die?" Of course, Gaspard would say something like this on the day we part with a bright pleasant smile and his golden eyes beaming as light as the sunset behind him that makes you want to turn away from the brightness. Gaspard have certainly helped me a lot while Sebastian was gone and I truly felt thankful for that.

"Gaspard," I start, "why do you help me so much?" Gaspard cocks his head with a smile as he pats my head.

"I dunno, maybe it's because of how I can't seem to leave you alone with your depressed self"

"So does that mean… you're my friend?" Gaspard turn towards the car.

"What a dumb question. Of course we're friends" With that, he continues on towards the car where Margaret waits, and never turning back.


	24. Chapter 25

"_The soul that has conceived one wickedness can nurse no good thereafter."_

Just what is Hunger? How does it feel to 'want' something so badly to the point where you might just go insane? What is insanity? I can answer these questions now for I feel the hunger of an insane demon dwelling inside me, slowly clawing its way out.

Maybe, just maybe, this hungry and insane demon has been there all along. It has been inside me ever since I was born, locked inside one of my chambers, never realizing or even noticing its tragic existence until the day when one of its locks break and the demon desperately howls and scratches on the iron door. This is quite an unusual way of explaining me. Perhaps it is only an excuse, an excuse where I can put all of the blames on my demon.

You might wonder, "What would happen if all of the locks were to brake?" It's simple, your hunger and insanity will devour you whole until you've become one with your demon. Like how I am now, with my blood stained hand holding Rosary. The blood dirtied my dark ebony dress and sullied its already dark color until they finally merged like my demon and I.

Through the fire, through the bloody, torn, and flaming streets I walk towards the base of Lanmia with my mind already set and my emotions in check, balancing between the borders of insanity.

"Please, help me…" a frail weakened voice sounded from the ground next to me as a hand grabs on to my leg, crawling and making its way up to my dress. I gasp and step away from the hand, startled at the sight of a half blown man next to my feet. With both of his legs blasted and gone, he grabs tightly a hold of my dress, tugging its fabric as if trying to rip it off of me. His face is painted with ash, dust, and dried blood that blinded his left eye.

"Please, please help me… I am hurt. Give me some money!"

I try to pry his hands off of my dress as I continue to back away, "you get your filthy hands off me! Do you really think that a random person would actually give you their money because of your pathetic way of begging?"

The man then smiles evilly, showing his rotten pointy teeth, "ah, so you must be one of those lucky ones. Those chosen rich bastards that hogs all the money and yet have barely ever done anything that deserve their wealth"

The man pulls harder on to my dress as he drags my arm down, twisting it. "Say, it wouldn't hurt to spare me some money … to aid me since I'm all blown up"

"Get off me!" I screamed, "I don't have any money on me!"

"You're lying! You bunch of lying rich bastards, hogging all the money that you don't even deserve!"

I keep stumbling back as I struggle with the man that clings on to me like a disgusting leech. Then with a lot of effort, I fling him into the brick wall behind him. The man grunts in pain as soon as he hits the ground. I stare at his struggling form on the ground, as I pant in deep breaths, trying to compose myself again.

I start to smirk, "lying rich bastards?" I start to walk slowly towards the man on the ground who is still trying to lift himself up with his hands. When I got to him, I shove my foot on to his back, slamming his face into the dirt.

I point my Rosary at a side of his face. "Don't screw with me"

"You bitch!"

"Don't you know that we rich bastards aren't the only ones who lie? In fact everyone lies, can't you see that we are living in a world full of false hopes and illusions?"

"What the hell… are you talking about?"

I press my gun farther into his face, "If you can't accept the lies around you, then you might as well die right?"

"You bitch, who gives you the right to judge?! Who the fuck gives you the right?!"

I cock my head to a side with more of my taunting smirks, "no one, but… as you can see you're the one without any legs here. Even if I were to spare you, you will be nothing but a hindrance to society, a waste of air and space since all you can ever do is beg for money"

The man grunts, "Oh… God…"

My smile then fades, "what God?"

Then with a bang, I shot him in the face as even more blood splatter on to my dark dress. This is my first kill, the first victim of my inner demon… and on to my second in the Lanmia base which is the Moore Genetic Hospital. But surprisingly, when I came upon the land of the hospital, all that is left are the massive crumbled white ruins and a bunch of soundless space through the white crumbled walls. Some parts of the walls are still standing and some fell. Some parts of the tile floor still remain and some turned into a crater.

But I can sense the movements around the corner and some rustling around the area. Someone had been following me and now it seems that I am cornered. "Turn around and put your hands up in the air," a deep and manly voice said.

"Who are you?"

"Shut it and do as I say"

"From the sound of your voice, you must be Gerald Moore, Urice's father. Ah, I do recognize this voice since I heard it every time you pick Urice up from school"

"You have guts to be talking so casually since I already have you surrounded with my men"

Right enough, those in black cloaks step out from behind the walls of the ruins and possibly all around me along with Gerald.

It is the same cloak that Urice wore. I glare up at the sky, trying to ignore the annoying figure, "you can't kill me," I said with clear confidence in my voice.

"And why is that? I have more reasons to kill you than you can imagine"

I laugh, "If you kill me, your daughter dies"

"You saw Urice? Where did you see her?"

I turn straight around to face Gerald, with the half face of his face hooded by his cloak and the bottom half showing his white bearded face. "Like I've said if you kill me, Urice dies"

"What did you do?!"

"Quite a caring father, are you?"

"What will I have to do four you to release her?"

"What will you have to do?" I repeated as I walk over to Gerald, using my mouth to hold on to an end of my dark glove that covers my rotten hand and sliding it off.

Gerald steps back as soon as he witnesses the sight of my crimson left hand. He then quickly steps farther back as I walk up towards him. Then before he could to anything, I quickly bolt up to his front and grab on to his face with my hand. Then again, with the sizzling sound follow by a rotten smell.

Gerald screams intending to pry my rotten hand off his face. "All you have to do is to die, Gerald. Your existence sickens me as much as how my hand sickens you. You who turned you daughter over to Lanmia as their experimental object"

"Guys kill her!"

"So… you intend to save your own life even if your daughter dies? Nobody move or I'll rot his throat!"

"Guys stab her!"

"Hn…. Does my hand sicken you? Disgusting isn't it? It seems that I'm actually a failed experiment too. But besides self destruction, all the other abilities of Lanmia still work and I am able to control it better. Do you know?

Lanmia rots the enemies around that are within a certain distance. Since I have a much larger figure than a plant…" I tip-toe up to his ear and whisper, "I could rot everyone within a larger distance"

"What?!"

"You heard me!" I spat as the ground starts to crumble around me, along with the surrounding walls and ruins. The massive ruins start to collapse, as they rot.

"Aaah it hurts!" Gerald screams as he collapse on to the ground.

The men in black cloaks start rot as some ran. Even if some manage to get away, they still got crushed by the fallen ruins. As for me, anything that gets near will rot, so I stand holding onto my shaking hand, in the middle of all the mess. Everything… is over before I could comprehend what just happened and everyone… died.

Most crumbled walls had disappeared, while a few are still left behind, unscathed. Then a sudden loneliness mixed with relief is left with me, along with pain from using my rotting ability too much. My hand wouldn't stop shaking. I start to have trouble with my breathing. Has it finally come to an end with me?

No…. somebody is still here and still alive. Turn around? No, don't turn around. Wouldn't it be easier to just get killed?

In a split second, I find myself fall on to the ground in even more pain. It is then, that I realized that I just got shot in my leg and arm. I crawl around to see the man who just shot me and it is just as I thought, my step father by the name of Dietrich Vere stood in front of me with his usual crooked smile for his sick affections.

As usual, the sight of himself in person stirs up a great horror feeling inside me. I couldn't move again for my whole body is frozen in fear.

"Faustine! Oh, my dear Faustine, I missed you! Have you been well?"

Dr. Vere, as people in the lab would call him, runs over towards my helpless form with a great big smile. "You've certainly grown a lot and more like your mother too!"

My breathing seems to get even harder by this second, "this…. This isn't how you'd …. N-normally greet your daughter…. You don't shoot them with a crossbow…"

"Oh, but I do!" Dr. Vere steps back and aims his crossbow at me again. "This is my way of showing my affections for you"

"You… you're fucking crazy"

Dr. Vere's smile disappears, "I know…" With that, he presses the trigger.

"No! Faustine!" A figure got in front of me, blocking my view from Dr. Vere.

Shocked, I stare up at the figure, at Elenezer. "You…." Elenezer turns around with a horror filled expression as he falls right in front of me.

"Elenezer… I see you still have affections for her daughter"

"Leave her alone, please…"

"Why would you save m-" Before I could finish, Dr. Vere had fired another shot at his back. With two arrows on his back, he crawls towards me.

"Damn you just won't die, will you El?" Dr. Vere viciously laughs.

"What do you want Elenezer? What is your goal this time?" I asked him, panic-strickened.

But my name is all he kept repeating over and over again as he continues to make his way towards me. When he finally got to me, he grabs on to my injured shoulder with one of his hands making me wince. Then surprisingly, with his other hand, he gently taps my cheek. Before he could go any farther, another arrow shoots through the back of his head… and that was the end of Elenezer Dolorie as his whole body collapse on to my injured leg.

"Hm, annoying isn't he?"

"Damn…. Damn him!" I bellowed as Dr. Vere blinks in surprise. "How could he… how could he touch my cheek like that after all that has happened?!"

"Don't you know?" Dr. Vere laughs, "El was the closest to your mother actually. They were childhood friends and when you were born she made him your godfather"

"My god…."

"He he, the truth hurts doesn't it?" I lower my head with a laugh, "truth? Up to now… truth has no meaning to me.

It is but an empty word that never exists"

"You're the one who couldn't face the reality. Now I shall end this pathetic life of yours" He raises his crossbow again.


	25. Chapter 26

"_He smiles, licking his lips, "your loyal dog just died"_

I grab a hold of my eye patch and tore it off my face. I stare up into Dr. Vere's eyes with a venomous glare made from the deepest depth of my hatred as tears finally overflow and make its way down my cheeks.

I start to whisper as the demon mark in my eye starts to glow and all the blood on the ground turns into the same mark as the one in my eye.

_"I, Faustine Dolorie,_

_Will now defy all living things to heaven and God,_

_In serving me and completing my quest. For return, he may in any manner _

_Order, ordain, reign, rule, posses all that I have including my body and soul._

_Therefore, I mark this contract with my blood._

"Faustine, what the hell are you mumbling about?" Dr. Vere asked, narrowing his eyes.

"_Through the contract between us…._

"Just shut up Faustine, shut your damn mouth!"

I ignore him and finally shout, "SEBASTIAN MICHAELIS, SHALL OBEY MY EVERY WORD OF REQUEST UNTIL MY GOAL IS COMPLETE. I NOW COMMAND YOU TO SHOW YOURSELF AND PROTECT YOUR CONTRACTOR!" In an instant, Dr. Vere had shot his last arrow because of his lack of patience and of course, his arrows just never seem to have any luck in making its way towards me. His last arrow was caught in the hands of my exclusive butler, Sebastian Michaelis.

I couldn't describe the longing and the joy that I feel when I see his back with his tailed butler suit in front of me, protecting me again. I secretly want to embrace him after two years of his absence and I want to call out his name again, but my breath had failed me for I still can hardly breathe after I forced myself to shout. Sebastian tosses the arrow to a side and turns around to face me. His bright crimson eyes widens in shock as soon as he sees me. "Young Mistress… look what has happened to you?!"

He quickly lowers himself in front of me and tips my head from side to side, examining my wounds, then my arms and legs after he pushes Elenezer's body off of me. "You don't have any fatal wounds but… my, you look as if you are dying from sickness"

"It's my condition that has built up over time from the effects of Lanmia. If this continues… I'll-"

A clapping sound cuts me off as Dr. Vere shreiks, "Ha! What a dramatic reunion.

This must be your capable butler I presume? I've heard about you from the members of Lanmia. You really are as capable as they said"

Sebastian smiles in a nonchalant way, "then, I thank you for your compliment. But it is not like your compliment will do much to mend for the pain you had caused my Mistress"

"What pain? Don't you think she should thank me? Because of me she became stronger as a person, both physically and mentally"

"Well, I do agree with you a little on that part for if it wasn't you, I would never have met Young Mistress. But I'd rather have a weak and dying girl as my Mistress then a physically and mentally hurt one"

What a liar, was what I thought when he got to that part.

"Well either way, you've all became a bore to me a while ago. If you love your Young Mistress this much, then I'll be considerate enough to bury the both of your bodies together" After that, thin white threads starts to come out from behind Dr. Vere. "You should be grateful that I even bother to use my ability on you"

"What is that behind him?" Sebastian asked.

I start to frown, remember how his ability was back in the lab, it was truly gruesome. "Dr. Vere's genes are fused with various kinds of animals. I'm guessing the threads behind him is from the ability of a spider"

"Hm~ Spider huh… human technologies these days really do amaze me"

The threads behind Dr. Vere head towards Sebastian, grabbing on to his limbs as another one charges towards his middle and stabs into his stomach.

"Ehahahahahahahahahaha and this is how your loyal butler dies! Ehe ehe ehe ehehehehehahahahaha" Man, his laughs are annoying as hell and I bet Sebastian is still playing dead even in this situation. Dr. Vere continues to laugh to his heart's content as he walks over to Sebastian and grabs him by his hair then moves it to the left side, revealing his neck. Wait…. Wait, wait, wait…. This somehow looks…..

Dr. Vere then bites into Sebastian's neck. This time, it must be that same ability as Gaspard's; the ability to spread venom. Dr. Vere then withdraws from his neck, wiping blood from his mouth. "Your butler is as good as dead now. The venom is highly poisonous. With this, he will suffer a slow and painful death as the venom eats away all of his insides.

I sighed, irritated, "Sebastian!"

"Wha!" Dr. Vere grunts and spits out blood when Sebastian shoves his hand into his stomach. "How…." He quickly jumps back in high speed, using yet another unknown ability.

"Ku, ku, ku…" Sebastian chuckles in a vague tone, "so you have that kind of interest. After all the disgusting things you just did, it would certainly be great to separate all of your limbs and them hang them by the-"

"Sebastian, enough! Just get this over with!" I yelled, follow by a few coughs from my body breaking down.

"Young Mistress, are you alright?"

"Sebastian, kill him!"

"Heh, do you really think your butler can k-"

"Mn… no, no that won't do. You want to kill him right? If so, is that your absolute order?"

I got mad, irritated, and impatient, I'm sick of his jokes.

"Sebastian, you have five seconds to kill Dietrich Vere, that is my absolute order!"


	26. Chapter 27

"**Yes, my Lady…"**

That was my absolute order and my final order for Sebastian's target right now, is Dietrich Vere. He, who is the root, the main target of my revenge. Up to now, I'm still not sure about the point in my revenge. You could say that it can either be for my mother, Urice, or even my uncle Elenezer. But even after I got my revenge, it is not like they will come back from the dead. You can also say that it is for my pride but it seems that my pride does not matter as much as I thought it does, since Sebastian is the one that shattered it more than anyone else. The only conclusion I could come up with for the goal of my revenge can only be just to see Sebastian and impress him.

I wanted to be the kind of soul that is up to his standards, which the demon desires. But this truth will always remain a secret and all the other excuses will mask up the secret. My visions blurred as I watch his back turned. My throat feels like it is closing up, not letting any air in for me to breath. Slowly, I am withering and rotting away. The last thing I see before I close my eyes from exhaustion is Sebastian's back as he charges at Dr. Vere and then follow by darkness.

Through the darkness behind my eyelids, I can hear the sounds of Sebastian's movements as he does his job even though I couldn't help but imagine it as the sounds of a demon dancing under the moonlight.

"M- Monster! Monster! Monster! You, what are you?! You're not human!"

"Whatever are you talking about? I have never said a single thing about being human"

"Who… what are you?! Gaaaaah!"

"Sorry, I don't have time for chit-chat since I have only three seconds left"

Three, Two, One…

"Mistress… Young Mistress?"

"Se- Sebastian…." I whisper with barely enough energy to talk. I slowly open my eyes to have one last look at Sebastian and his fine appearance. Really… even if all of this is fake, I have no regrets in calling this demon, for I have already been trapped by his endless web of lies.

"Hang in there, Young Mistress…."

"No….can't you see? I'm dying here! My body is rotting and shutting down… So… why don't you quit it with your fake kindness and devour me. I already know…. That everything is over, everything ends here…" Sebastian smiles his smile full of what looks like happiness, probably for the first time.

He crouches down in front of me and caresses my cheeks with the both of his hands.

"You're wrong," he says, "whether everything ends or not…. I'll be the one to decide since it would be boring to just end it all so quickly"

"What…. Are you talking about?"

"Fu fu…. Why did you think I let Young Master's soul loose last time?"

"Th- then….."

Sebastian stands up again, "well then, farewell. Young Mistress…"

I closely stare and examine his pleasant looking face, looking for clues on what the heck he just said but of course, his expression is still unreadable. Then there's a loud wailing noise, like an unpleasant howl, like a blaring siren as it comes closer and louder. Before I could think of anything, the loud siren is all I hear with the image of Sebastian's smiling face that stood in front of me all along.


	27. Chapter 28

"_No matter how much you've killed me..."_

It is just as I thought, the annoying death god is back and snooping around the dead bodies confirming who died and when they died. I've always wander what the points are in listing off the dead people.

But of course since death gods are neither senseless humans, I am sure he could sense me ever so easily around the ruins, for my presence is pretty hard to miss when I am not trying to hide it.

"Sebastian Michaelis, what is a dog like you snooping around here for. Don't tell me, like a real stray dog you are finally looking for the leftovers"

Snooping? That death god seriously just said that I am snooping when they are usually the one who does the snooping.

"Ah~ Looks like I got found out but as usual. You were slow to realize that I had been here all along, William Spears"

William turns towards the destruction site while adjusting his glasses, as usual, "Actually, I had already sensed your presence as soon as I got here" He takes out one of those small notebooks the death gods always carry whenever they 'snoop'.

"Albert Leons, age forty-three, died from getting crushed by a fallen ceiling… Oi, what are you loitering around for. Get out of my sight "

What a rude way of responding to an old acquaintance. Of course, as an intelligent demonic species that I am, I respond politely with my usual smile, "If you really think I actually like to 'loiter' around lowly death gods such as yourself, I am sorry to say that you have greatly mistaken"

"Ch, what a rude way of response" What the- that was 'my' line… "So then, what are you here for?"

"I just need you to confirm a person's death"

William stops and turns with an unreadable expression, "since when do you demonic creatures care about whether humans live or die?"

Again, he took 'my' line. "We don't but… the longer it takes for you to confirm up to that person, the longer I will loiter around you"

"Very well then, who do you want?"

"Faustine Dolorie"

"Faustine…. Ah, this girl?"

"Yes indeed that is her. Those looks of irritation can only be hers"

"Faustine Dolorie… age sixteen. Died from a bomb that dropped from one of the planes"

Humans… have an incredible way of keeping records. This incident of the multiple bombings from Germany was later known as the Blitz where the city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed. More than a million London houses were destroyed or damaged, and more than 40,000 civilians were killed, half of them in London.

But… all these death of humans doesn't faze me at all, for I am once again in a phase of boredom.

Traveling through time, waiting and waiting. From the forties to the fifties, then sixties, seventies, then finally, the eighties….I went to various countries during the wait. Then, in the country called Japan, where it has been raining non-stop for three days, I settle myself in the usual bars, drinking tasteless drinks made from humans. The stage as usual, is full of lives of the in-bands. Some are successfully famous in their district and some are just as crappy. On this faithful day, the announcer announced the name of a new band that joined the live.

The crowd starts to cheer, follow by cries and loud screams. I didn't really pay much attention to their music in general. But still, I decide to take a glimpse at the new band in town. The singer is a little girl with a brunette hair and green eyes. She has a bang that goes down to her brows and a wavy hair. Her figure is quite short.

This singer really reminds me of my Young Mistress, but I knew it isn't her. But I'm still having the urge to look up at the stage again. As soon as I look, I finally form a smile on my face because I knew that my boring days are over… There he is…. That bass player at the back.

His tall figure is surely different from what I've expected. His hair is dyed auburn. He wears a long black sleeve shirt and baggy pants. One look, just one look and surely enough… I know it's him.

First you're Ciel Phantomhive, then you're Faustine Dolorie, who are you next?


End file.
